Aina, Awoniyi target winning start as Forest face Brentford

Nottingham Forest stars Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi will be looking to kick off their Premier League campaign with maximum points when they host Brentford on Saturday.

Aina enjoyed a standout season with Forest, helping the club secure Europa League qualification after Crystal Palace were relegated to the Conference League by UEFA for breaching multi-club ownership rules. The versatile defender made 35 appearances, scoring two goals and providing one assist during the 2024/25 season.

Awoniyi, meanwhile, endured an injury-hit campaign but is determined to bounce back and re-establish himself despite playing second fiddle to Chris Wood. The 26-year-old striker, who joined Forest from Union Berlin in June 2022 for a then club-record £17 million, has netted 17 goals in 72 league appearances despite his setbacks.

Read Also: His football speaks for itself, Aina hails Gibbs-White

Forest, however, face a stern test against Brentford, who are unbeaten in five of their last six meetings with the Tricky Trees. Forest have managed just one win in that run. With 18 goals scored across the last six clashes, another high-scoring contest could be on the cards.

Both sides will be desperate to start strong, and this opening-day clash promises to be a closely fough

The post Aina, Awoniyi target winning start as Forest face Brentford appeared first on Sporting Life.