Brentford 2-2 Nottingham Forest – Premier League: Live score, team news and updates as Ben Mee puts Thomas Frank’s men in front with a towering header

‘It’s that man again’ – I think he’s earned it. Wood scores his sixth goal in as many games with a well placed header from Tavares’s cross from the left.

The forward got in front of Mee before glancing a header into the corner of the net. Game on!

Nuno turns to his bench

Williams replaces Yates, who still seems to be feeling the effects of that injury at the end of the first half.

Forest fans won’t want to see that one too many times. Mee escapes his marker before nodding in Jansen’s inch-perfect corner.

Simple stuff for Brentford as they take the lead for the first time tonight.

It’s all happening now!

Brentfors this time. Toney to Maupay to…Lewis-Potter. Unfortunately for the hosts, the midfielder fluffed his lines, scuffing a shot on goal.

Chance for Mangala

The midfielder meets Danilo’s cross perfectly, well not perfectly as he missed. Nonetheless, he came close to getting Forest ahead.

Lewis-Potter strikes right at the keeper

It’s another great chance for Brentford and Toney is at the heart of it again. He pickes up the ball on the wide right and delivers a wonderful cross to the far post where Lewis-Potter had got ahead of his marker.

The youngster could only strike into the grateful hands of Turner.

Danilo goes into the book

The Brazilian’s studs caught the shin of Collins, who felt the full affect of the scrape. Nothing more than a yellow as, I guess (in VAR speak), there was no excessive force.

Forest waste an early break

Nuno will be seething with his side’s inability to find that crucial final ball. This time it was Tavares who failed to produce a quality delivery on the break.

Hudson-Odoi had raced clear after a great defensive header from the away aside before finding the former Arsenal defender but his cross fell to the Brentfors defence before Murillo skied a cross of his own.

No changes for either side at the break. Brentford get us back underway at the Gtech.

Toney didn’t take long to make an impact.

Just 19 minutes in fact. His free-kick swung the momentum of the game after Forest had got off to a brilliant start thanks to a wonderful goal from Danilo.

But from then on the visitors struggled to impose themselves on a Brentford side full of belief and led by their talisman.

All their hopes were pinned on his return and the players and fans alike really do seem to be hanging on every involvement he has in the game. From what we know about him, that pressure will not faze him in the slightest and you’d expect Toney to make another telling contributions before the game is done.

Forest switch off again

Toney is involved in another chance for Brentford after playing the ball through to Damsgaard but the winger’s cross was deflected, allowing Turner to claim.

It feels like something is going to happen every time that man touches the ball.

Four additional minutes at the end of the first half.

Forest skipper Yates has just gone down after a clash of knees so expect to see even more time added on before the half finishes.

In case you wondered why the Forest wall looked a little shabby, well it’s because Toney moved the ball – and the spray – to avoid detection from the referee.

We’re back underway

We’re into the final few minutes of regular time at the end of the first half. Toney has just had an effort from out wide that sailed over the bar but he looks in good shape as the Bees look to go ahead before the interval.

Break in play

A nasty clash of heads between Maupay and Dominguez has halted proceedings for a few moments.

Good to see both players back on their feet.

Great play by Forest

The visitors finally string a good passage of play together that nearly resulted in their second goal. Dominguez was on the end of a pass into the box and he teased Mee with a wonderful touch past him but was then unable to get a shot off before the keeper smothered.

Here’s a closer look at those Brentford celebrations for the goal. Pure ecstasy from all ovolved with the home side after Toney’s big moment.

Stormzy has been spotted at the Gtech taking in the action. He won’t be disappointed by what he’s seen!

Brentford so close to a second

Toney retrieved the deep corner before the ball bounced area the box before Lewis-Potter crashed a half-volley against the bar. Forest were lucky the ball didn’t rebound off their keeper into the back of his net.

The Bees are turning the screw

Maupay thought he had a shout for a penalty but Murillo used his strength to thwart a dangerous Brentford attack. it’s pretty much been all the home side since their goal.

Brentford’sstar man ran straight over to the sidelines after his goal before holding up a jersey with the words ‘For you uncle Brian’.

Gtech in full voice

That goal has livened the crowd, who had been reeling from Forest’s opener. Their star man is back and their back level but can the Bees press home their dominance?

The hype was justified! Toney stepped up to take the free-kick, as he did last April, and equalised for the home side.

The Forest wall didn’t cover themselves in glory, in fact, they really should have been set up better. Still, Toney has made the perfect return.

Tidy pay from Damsgaard

The Dane exchanges a one-two before running through and getting fouled on the edge of the area.

A great chance from the free-kick, I wonder who will take it?

Huge block for Brentford

There’s that counter attacking threat from Forest. One long ball into Wood was enough to threaten the Brentford goal.

This time their defence was able to block Hudon-Odoi’s shot in the area.

Bees unable to find a way through the Forest defence

The home side are probing and appear to have finally recovered from the shock of that stunning early concession. But despite controlling the ball they’ve found Forest hard to break down and a threat on the break.

Toney’s involvement

The striker has had a couple of chances to infuence the game in the early minutes but he has been isolated. A moments ago, Toney delivered a brilliant cross into the box but only found Forest heads when his teammates should really have been backing him up.

Yates with an effort from range

The Forest skipper has ages to sie up a shot from 30 yards as the Brentford defence backed off. Unlike his teammate, the midfielder dragged his shot wide.

What a goal what a start! Danilo with a half volley from 25 yards stuns the home crowd.

The Brazilian capitalised on some shocking defending from the Bees, who failed in two attempts to clear the ball but still, for him to control the ball on his knee before firing past the keeper took some doing!

Forest get the ball rolling in what feels like a must-win fixture for both sides.

Can’t say I like the look of that away Forest strip.

Hey Jude rings around the Community Stadium as the players walk out onto the pitch. Kick-off is just moments away!

Former Spurs defender Michael Dawson talked up the improved form of Forest striekr Chris Wood.

Chris Wood under the previous management didn’t play an awful lot of minutes. He’s getting the minutes now and it was fantastic for him to get his hat trick against Newcastle against his own club.

Got a goal against Blackpool in the FA Cup so he should be full of confidence but it’s all about getting momentum it’s all about playing football matches and that’s what Chris Wood is doing at this moment in time.

We have solutions with other players,’ he said regarding the absence of Gibbs-White and Elanga.

Two games now and other players we have to find solutions. The boys playing are responding well and its about finding solutions in the team.

Slowly, it takes time and patience (to get my ideas across)

, the commitment is more important and the players are doing that. Trying to know each other better day by day.

Maybe those shooting drills in Nashville have paid off, or we’ve all just forgotten how deadly Toney is, or he’s a professional footballer at target practice during a warm-up.

Whichever one it is, we’ll find out shortly!

The former Wolves youngster has become Forest’s key man but they’ll have to make do without him in London tonight.

The counting stats don’t really show how important the 23-year-old is. His dynamism and running with the ball will be sorely missed.

I imagine that volume will be significantly turned up when the action gets underway in less than 30 minutes.

Looks like most FPL owners had as much foresight as me before the split gameweek. Less than 3 per cent of managers drafted in Toney at the cut-price of only £8m.

You’d expect that number to significantly rise by the time the Bees are next in action.

Arsenal have spent the best part of the last month waiting to exhale. After slipping and sliding down the table from their lofty position at the summit, after being accused of choking again, this comfortable, cantering victory over Crystal Palace felt like a long sigh of relief.

For all their recent travails, a 5-0 trouncing of a distinctly ordinary Palace side, for whom Eberechi Eze shone like a beacon in the gloom, reassured their fretful supporters and lifted Mikel Arteta’s team to third in the Premier League, level with Manchester City and just two points behind leaders Liverpool.

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In many ways Toney actually is a new signing. You would have exected him to depart last summer if not for the lebgthy ban. Brentford fans get the chance to watch him in their colours for anotehr few months, well that’s if he stays.

Mail Sport’s Ian Ladyman certainly thinks not, especially in the current circumstances. Toney has not been shy about stating his wish to play for one of the big boys but what do you think? Does he owe Brentford anything?

The Forest boss spoke ahead of the clash and told reporters he expects a tough clash. Under his management, the side have improved their form, though they remain uncomfrtably close to drop.

Footage of the Forest team arriving at the stadium earlier. For all fearmongering, they are actually coming off the back of two wins in the league under Nuno Espirito Santo.

It’s three changes for Thomas Frank from teh side that lost to Wolves last week. Flekken returns in goal, Pinnock comes in for Ajer and Toney STARTS!

Nuno makes two changes from the team that prevailed in the FA Cup third round replay against Blackpool, bringing back Matt Turner for Vlachodimos.

Chris Wood leads the line for the visitors.

You’re right to talk about the impact Eric Cantona made at Manchester United. When you think about how important Ivan Toney is to Brentford that probably is similar to what Cantona was to United at that time.

There’s always a lot of speculation around him and I think he’s added to that in the last days as well. I’m sure he’ll get a rousing reception and I hope it goes well for him.

It doesn’t make good reading for either side coming into the fixture. Brentford have pinned a lot of their hope on Toney’s return to the fold but there is no such figure for Forest to cling on to.

To be fait to Nuno’s team, he is seeking a third straight win in the Premier League after beating both Newcastle and Man United in their final two league fixtures of 2023.

A hat-trick tonight would induce some panic at Brentford you feel.

Here’s Brentfors’a talisman arriving at the ground a little earlier as he prepares to make his first appearance since May.

We’ll have team news for you shortly but Thomas Frank has already confirmed that Toney will start and captain the side tonight on his return.

The visitors are very much taking a back seat in tonight’s proceedngs but they are in a fair bit of bother on and off the pitch.

Last week, the club were charged by the Premier League for breaches of their profitability and sustainability rules. An independent panel will decide their guilt but if things don’t go they way they could be looking at a hefty points penalty.

Considering that they currently sit four points above the drop, that’s not the ideal sitaution for Nuno Espirito Santo and his squad.

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Here’s one of those Toney goals against Forest. This one came in the last meeting of the teams; a 2-1 win for the Bees in April last year.

Courtesy of Opta

• Brentford are without a win in their last seven games in all competitons.
• Thomas Frank’s side have lost seven of their last eight fixtures in the Premier League.
• Ivan Toney has scored in all three of his league fixtures against Nottingham Forest, as well as in his last three matches at the Community Stadium.
• Forest are winless against today’s opponents in their last five clashes going back to when the pair were in the Championship in January 2020.

Where better to begin than with Toney’s exclusive interview with our very own Oliver Holt. The striker talks at length about his time out of the game, his anticipated return and – among other things – his array of tattoos.

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Good afternoon and welcome to Mail Sport’s coverage of tonight’s Premier League clash between Brentford and Nottingham Forest.

A match between two side’s worryingly close to the relegation zone would normally attract interest but let’s be honest, we’re all here to see the return of Ivan Toney.

A lot has been said in recent weeks about the England international’s return following an eight-moth betting ban but tonight we’ll see if those Nashville training sessions have done him any good.

We’ll have all the build up, including team news, quotes from the managers, some interesting insights and plenty of reaction on social media. We’ll then be on hand to take you through the action when the game gets underway at 5.30pm!

Let’s get to it.