Brentford Hand Igor Thiago the Start as Forest's Winless Run Meets a Top-Six Side

Brentford have confirmed their starting XI for Saturday's Premier League visit of Nottingham Forest, and the headline call is Igor Thiago leading the line at the Gtech Community Stadium. The striker starts in a 4-2-3-1, with Dan Ndoye and Dango Ouattara in the attacking line behind him. Caoimhín Kelleher starts in goal.

Forest, 18th in the table and 12 places below their hosts, set up in a 3-4-2-1. Jair Cunha is named in the back three.

Keith Andrews has gone with a 4-2-3-1 that puts Thiago at the point of the attack and Ndoye in the band of three behind him. Ouattara joins the same line, giving Brentford two wide runners either side of the central creator. The shape is the one Brentford have used through the opening weeks, and the personnel confirm the intent: get the ball into Thiago early, then let Ndoye and Ouattara attack the space around him.

Brentford sit sixth on 11 points. Their last fixture was a 3-2 Carabao Cup defeat to Sunderland, and they carry a four-match winless run into this one. The selection reflects a side that wants to stop that slide at home rather than manage it.

Kelleher's start in goal is the other confirmed piece at the back. The rest of the defensive line is set in front of him in the 4-2-3-1.

Oliver Glasner's Forest arrive in 18th and line up in a 3-4-2-1. Jair Cunha starts in the back three, which means Forest will defend with three central defenders and use the wing-backs to cover the width of the pitch. The two players in the band behind the striker are the link between the wing-backs and the centre-forward.

The 12-place gap between the sides is the frame for the afternoon. Brentford are sixth; Forest are 18th. A home win pushes Brentford back toward the top six after four matches without one. A Forest result pulls them out of the bottom three conversation for at least a week.

Brentford's 4-2-3-1 against Forest's 3-4-2-1 sets up a familiar problem: Forest's back three can match Thiago centrally, but the two Brentford wide attackers in the band of three will look to pull the Forest wing-backs into decisions. If Ndoye and Ouattara stay high, Forest's back three has to defend a front three without the wing-backs fully committed.

Forest's counter is the two behind the striker. If those two drop into midfield when Brentford have the ball, Forest can protect the back three and still break with the wing-backs. The game turns on which side wins that middle zone.

Kick-off is at the Gtech Community Stadium. Both XIs are confirmed.