Relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest will look to build on an improved performance against Liverpool when Brighton & Hove Albion visit the City Ground on Wednesday evening.

Steve Cooper's side suffered a 3-2 defeat at Anfield last time out, while the Seagulls endured penalty heartbreak against Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Match preview

Despite seeing just 18% of the ball against Liverpool, Nottingham Forest showed great spirit to come from behind on two occasions at Anfield, with Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White finding the back of the net for the visitors.

However, defensive lapses enabled Diogo Jota to bag a brace before Mohamed Salah scored the winner midway through the second half to inflict a fourth successive defeat on the Tricky Trees, who have slipped to 19th in the Premier League table.

Although Forest find themselves one point from safety with six games remaining, Cooper's men must return to winning ways if they want to avoid an immediate return to the Championship, as they head into Wednesday's clash on an 11-match winless run.

Indeed, Nottingham Forest have recorded three draws and eight losses since their last victory, with six defeats coming in their previous seven outings, although they can take confidence from their impressive record on home soil.

Having lost just two of their last 12 Premier League clashes at the City Ground – clinching positive results against the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea along the way – Forest will be hopeful of taking advantage of a deflated Brighton outfit.

The Seagulls can count themselves very unfortunate to have lost Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United, as Solly March's penalty miss enabled Victor Lindelof to score the winning spot kick after 120 minutes of goalless action.

Brighton controlled large spells of the contest at Wembley, racking up 15 shots while enjoying the lion's share of possession, but they failed to make the most of their dominance and were ultimately unsuccessful in the penalty shootout lottery.

Still, Roberto De Zerbi's men have plenty to play for between now and the end of the season, as they find themselves eighth in the Premier League table – 10 points shy of the top four – with as many as three games in hand over certain rivals.

Not only have Brighton lost just one of their last seven league encounters, but they have also lost two of their previous 13, securing seven wins and four draws to remain within touching distance of the European places.

Thanks to a 2-1 victory at Chelsea earlier this month, the Seagulls have scored at least two goals in nine of their last 14 Premier League games, so they will be confident of piling more pressure on struggling Forest, who have the third-worst defensive record in the division.

Team News

Scott McKenna made a swift return to Nottingham Forest's lengthy injury list as the centre-back was forced off at Anfield with a suspected collar bone issue, leaving Steve Cooper with limited defensive options.

McKenna joins fellow defenders Willy Boly, Serge Aurier, Giulian Biancone and Omar Richards on the sidelines, meaning that Joe Worrall should return alongside Moussa Niakhate and Felipe at centre-back.

With goalkeeper Dean Henderson continuing to recover from a hamstring injury, Paris Saint-Germain loanee Keylor Navas will retain his place in Forest's starting XI, while Remo Freuler is expected to anchor the midfield.

Cooper made the bold decision to drop key forward Brennan Johnson last time out, but the Wales international – who has scored eight Premier League goals this term – is likely to be restored to the starting lineup on Wednesday.

With Chris Wood, Ryan Yates, Gustavo Scarpa, Jack Colback and Cheikhou Kouyate also out injured, Cooper has little scope for rotation as he attempts to find a winning formula.

As for Brighton, Evan Ferguson looks set to remain sidelined for the foreseeable future, so Danny Welbeck will continue to lead the line, with Kaoru Mitoma and Solly March occupying the wide attacking areas.

The Seagulls are also without Adam Lallana, Jeremy Sarmiento and Tariq Lamptey due to injury, meaning that Roberto De Zerbi will not be able to make too many changes to the XI that started Sunday's defeat at Wembley.

Goalkeeper Jason Steele could come back into the team at the expense of Robert Sanchez, while Alexis Mac Allister could occupy a deeper midfield position to accommodate Julio Enciso in a more advanced role.

Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:
Navas; Felipe, Worral, Niakhate; Williams, Freuler, Mangala, Lodi; Awoniyi, Gibbs-White, Johnson

Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Steele; Gross, Webster, Dunk, Estupinan; Caicedo, Mac Allister; March, Enciso, Mitoma; Welbeck

We say: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion

Although Brighton will be fatigued after Sunday's marathon FA Cup showdown with Manchester United, De Zerbi's men should have enough in the tank to inflict a fifth successive defeat on Nottingham Forest.

The Tricky Trees invariably give visiting teams a run for their money on Trentside, but the hosts look set to fall short against the high-flying Seagulls, who are expected to notch a third victory in four Premier League outings.

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