Watch Nottingham Forest vs Brentford: Live stream, TV channel, NOW, team news and Champions League qualification state of play

Sky customers can watch Nottingham Forest vs Brentford in the Premier League on Sky Sports from 7pm or via the Sky Sports app; non-Sky customers can stream the game with a NOW Day or Month pass; kick-off at the City Ground is 7.30pm

Friday 2 May 2025 08:01, UK

Nottingham Forest host Brentford at the City Ground in the Premier League on Thursday May 1, live on Sky Sports, as the race for Champions League qualification continues.

Nottingham Forest have slipped from third to sixth in the Premier League table - one place outside the Champions League qualification spots - after costly back-to-back defeats to Aston Villa and Everton, although they returned to winning ways in the league against Tottenham last Monday.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side will be seeking to bounce back from their FA Cup semi-final loss to Manchester City, and victory over Brentford on Thursday would move them back up to third in the league.

Brentford are 11th in the table on 46 points, and their 4-2 victory over Brighton last time out ended a three-game winless run.

The previous meeting between the two sides this season ended in Forest winning 2-0 at Brentford on December 21.

When is Nottingham Forest vs Brentford

Nottingham Forest vs Brentford in the Premier League takes place on Thursday May 1 at the City Ground. Kick-off is 7.30pm UK time.

How to watch Nottingham Forest vs Brentford

Got Sky?

TV: Sky customers can watch on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League from 7pm

App: Sky customers can also watch on the Sky Sports app

Not got Sky?

Stream: Non-Sky customers can stream the game with a NOW Day or a cancel-anytime Month pass

Online: Anyone on the move can follow live coverage of the game through our dedicated match blog

How to watch Nottingham Forest vs Brentford with the Sky Sports app

Sky Sports Subscribers can:

Download or open the Sky Sports app
Head to the 'Watch' section at 7pm
Tap on the Sky Sports Premier League or Sky Sports Main Event channel
Sign in with your Sky iD (*you'll only need to do this once)

*Sky iD help: How to find or create your Sky iD

What is NOW TV?

NOW is an instant streaming service offering access to all 12 Sky Sports channels, every Sky Sports+ stream, and much more.

It's an app, so customers can sign up and stream instantly across over 60 devices. It offers contract-free memberships options, so customers can cancel anytime!

You can choose between a Month or Day Membership. See the latest NOW TV membership prices.

More information about NOW can be found here.

Nottingham Forest vs Brentford team news

Nottingham Forest welcome back Neco Williams and Ryan Yates after they were suspended for the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Man City at Wembley.

Nuno says he is still assessing his squad and was coy on Ola Aina's fitness.

"There are a lot of players to assess, it was a very demanding game, a lot of players finished with cramp, so we will see," the Portuguese said.

"We have been missing Ola, especially because of the stability of the back four we had and the routines.

"I don't know how many times we had the same players - that's crucial, especially in defence. We will assess him and see how fast he can return to the team."

Brentford will be without Vitaly Janelt after the midfielder underwent surgery on a heel problem that will keep him sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Fabio Carvalho (shoulder) is also unlikely to play again this season, while Josh Dasilva remains out with a knee problem.

Full-back Aaron Hickey and striker Igor Thiago have returned to full training but Thomas Frank says the Forest game comes too early for them to return to his squad.

The race for the Champions League

The race for Champions League qualification is more competitive than ever with five Premier League teams guaranteed qualification, but who will make the cut?

The fight for the top five is tight as only five points separate Newcastle in third and Aston Villa in seventh.

Opta's supercomputer has run the numbers on each team's chances - so who do they expect to get over the line?

Premier League winners Liverpool have already guaranteed Champions League football, while Opta put Arsenal's prospects at 99.96 per cent, with the Gunners having a seven-point cushion going into their final four fixtures.

Man City - who have a favourable run-in - then have a 94.58 per cent chance of making those Champions League spots.

Newcastle are now given an 80.83 per cent chance of making the top five, after their 3-0 win over Ipswich moved them up to third on Saturday.

Nottingham Forest - who secured a key win over Tottenham - are next, with a 75.47 per cent chance, although that figure has dropped since before the weekend, due to Chelsea's win over Everton.

Chelsea are given a slightly improved figure of 35.85 per cent. Forest have a game in hand on the sides around them, though.

Aston Villa's prospects are fading in the eyes of the supercomputer. They are given just a 13.3 per cent chance of making the top five. A blow to go along with their FA Cup semi-final loss to Crystal Palace.

The run-in sees two games between Champions League hopefuls as Chelsea go to Newcastle on May 11, while Forest host Chelsea on the final day of the season.