Fulham and Nottingham Forest are interested in Bologna and Scotland attacking midfielder Lewis Ferguson, 24, who has scored six Serie A goals this season. (calciomercato.com - in Italian, external)
Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
Pat Riddell
Fan writer
There was a time when scoring goals under Nuno Espirito Santo didn’t seem to be too difficult. In the Nottingham Forest manager’s first four Premier League games, the Reds averaged 2.25 goals a match.
In the following seven league fixtures, they’ve averaged less than a goal a game; and now have the third-lowest expected goals in the division.
We can blame officiating decisions in recent matches, but simply putting the ball in the back of the net would have put points on the board.
Injuries to key strikers Taiwo Awoniyi and Chris Wood haven’t helped, and while Divock Origi is now showing his quality he's yet to score in the league.
The attacking options we have in the squad have proven to be a real threat - a front four of Awoniyi, Morgan Gibbs-White, Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi should terrify most defences they come across. Yet the latter two didn’t start against Brighton on Sunday.
With Nuno Tavares and Ola Aina the only players currently unavailable, Forest really need to find that scoring form again.
Clean sheets are hard to come by, as our goal difference shows, so somehow returning to two or more goals a game is, realistically, the Reds' best chance of survival.
Pat Riddell can be found at The Famous Club, external
BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions.
Dave in Tiverton asked: Hi Phil. Do you think the possibility of points deductions for Everton and Forest is having a psychological effect on the teams? I know they're professionals but it's hard not to let these things affect you.
Phil replied: Fair point, Dave. Everton actually went on their best run for years after being deducted 10 points but since then have struggled, not winning a league game since December, and there is no doubt a cloud of uncertainty hangs over the clubs, which can have an impact.
I think we also have to factor in the simple fact that, at the moment, neither team is anywhere near good enough and their struggles are down to results.
Everton and Forest simply have to set all this to one side to try and focus on winning some football matches.
As the Premier League heads into the business end of the season, statisticians Opta have been putting the remaining fixtures through their 'supercomputer' to predict who will finish where in the table at the end of the campaign.
Nottingham Forest, who currently sit in 17th on 124 points, are among a number of teams fighting to keep their place in the Premier League.
They next face Luton Town on Saturday, who are currently three points behind Forest and play their game in hand against Bournemouth on Wednesday.
According to Opta, Forest are likely stay up this season with a 17th-place finish on 35.58. However, that does not account for any possible point deductions.
But what do you think? Do you agree with the prediction or can you see Forest losing their place in the top flight?
We asked for your views on Sunday's game between Brighton and Nottingham Forest.
Here are some of your responses:
Brighton fans
Phil: Nice to see Brighton win ugly. Not a game to remember but a crucial three points. Six points from a Forest team who look toothless in attack, not that the Albion looked much better. Really need Pedro back.
Roger: Too much intricate passing especially with goal- kicks. Opponents know the Brighton game and close them down quickly preventing them progressing. Need a rethink on tactics. Forest stifled the Brighton attack and had enough good chances to have won.
Mick: Not the best of games - too many players not at their best. However, it was a game that we needed. We closed out the game well, albeit at the expense of my fingernails. Good performances from Baleba, Adingra, Fati and Ferguson. The substitutions made a difference with Igor, Lallana and Enciso making good contributions. Pascal Gross man of the match again!
Robert: The good, the bad and the ugly! Good to see Baleba and Moder back in form - they will be important for us for the rest of the season. Bad entertainment as a spectacle. Ugly were the three points won by Brighton, but I accept this was the most important thing of all. We’ll need to show more of our Clint Eastwood side to beat Roma - but why not?
Forest fans
Andy: Terrible defence! Every week for months. We'll go down if it's not sorted immediately!
Simon: Useless. Absolutely useless. Awful team selection - why change from a working squad from last week? No desire by any of the players to win. Morgan Gibbs-White still taking set-pieces when he can't cross a road. All on Nuno and no improvement over Cooper. Just useless, the whole club. At least I'll be able to get a ticket next season...
Martin: Yet another terrible decision leaves us feeling rubbish but it’s like we were the tired side. Nuno's big subs, plus the non-red card took some of our momentum. Next match is do or die and I don’t know which way it’s going to go.
Fosi: Team selection rubbish. Origi couldn't score if he was only player on pitch. Very poor all round. Williams and Gibbs-White very poor. Yates not good enough for this league. If we keep playing like this we will go down without any points reduction!
BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions on Monday.
Martin in Derby: Only three Premier League clubs have panic sacked their managers this season: Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace. So far, none are better off, arguably worse off in Forest's case. What do you think of this strategy versus the boards who hold their nerve - a la Burnley, Luton, Everton, Brentford with the longer term learning and stability in mind?
Phil: It's a tough choice, Martin, but it certainly has not had the desired impact at Sheffield United and Forest with Chris Wilder returning and Nuno Espirito Santo being appointed at the City Ground. Far too early to make any considered judgement on Oliver Glasner at Palace.
Vincent Kompany had credit in the bank for taking Burnley up but it's been a miserable season and they seem simply resigned to going down and maybe letting him try again next season. There is no-one at Everton to make a decision on Sean Dyche even if they wanted to, which is very unlikely. Thomas Frank has done a top-class job at Brentford despite recent struggles while if the art of good management is getting the best out of what you have then Rob Edwards is doing incredibly well at Luton Town. They could still stay up.
There are considered reasons why they are all still in their jobs.
I think the prospect of relegation can induce panic and clubs must also weigh up whether there is anyone out there who could do any better. A very hard choice and only the final league table will tell if the right decision has been taken.
Mark Chapman introduces highlights and analysis from Sunday's four Premier League matches.
If you missed Match of the Day 2, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.
Listen back to BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra match commentaries in full:
Emily Salley
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesAnother Premier League game, another refereeing decision against Nottingham Forest.
It's impossible to say whether the visitors could have got a point, or even three, if Brighton been reduced to 10-men after Jakub Moder's studs-up challenge in the 67th minute.
It was clear to see, however, that Forest very rarely looked like scoring.
They threatened to break into the box, but a Brighton defensive wall stood in their way and when more clear-cut chances appeared, there was no one able to finish it off.
Chris Wood had a quiet game on his return from injury, and perhaps will need more minutes to get back to his best.
Two crucial games await for Nuno Espirito Santo's side and a realistic six points up for grabs against other relegation-threatened clubs.
First up is Luton Town, who could be level on points with Forest come Saturday's trip to Kenilworth Road and then there's Crystal Palace, who are still finding their way under new boss Oliver Glasner.
Image source, Getty ImagesNottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo after the 1-0 defeat to Brighton: "Disappointed. I felt we would get much more from the game. There's a lot of issues that we have to improve, one of them is making real our opportunities and trying to finish them. Tough game but I think we deserved more.
"We played a good team with a lot of possession but we limited the chances they created. We should have done better with what we created."
Should Brighton have had a player sent off? "It is a red card. It is week after week I am trying to avoid... but you go back to the dressing room and see us as professionals... week after week. Week after week. What is going on? Someone wants to put us down? We received the referees they apologise, they make mistakes. VAR stops the game, it is a clear red card. It is week after week. That is enough.
"We come to a point that we try to understand, we don't judge them, terrible mistakes costing us points. You go into the dressing room and say 'let's keep on going' but it is enough. We want better decisions."
Use that as fuel going forward? "We have enough fuel. We will fight until the end. Everybody is fighting, but we have to say something and ask for good decisions. It is a clear red card. A clear red card. Someone tell me it is not a red card, am I saying something really stupid? I am just being honest."
Brighton have completed just their third ever league double over Nottingham Forest, previously doing so in 1979-80 (top-flight) and in 2015-16 (Championship). The Seagulls haven’t conceded in any of their last four home league games against Forest.
Since the start of last season, Forest have lost 22 away Premier League games and conceded 73 goals on the road, both the most in the division.
Brighton remain unbeaten in their last 12 home Premier League games (W6 D6), with this just their second clean sheet in their last 17 league matches at the Amex Stadium (also a goalless draw with Wolves in January).
Nottingham Forest have conceded 18 set piece goals in the Premier League this season (excluding penalties), the most in the division.
No side has benefitted from more opposition own goals in the Premier League this season than Brighton (4 – level with Liverpool), while defender Andrew Omobamidele became the first Nottingham Forest player to put through his own net in a top-flight match since Des Lyttle against Liverpool back in December 1996.
Today’s meeting between Brighton (0.46 xG) and Nottingham Forest (0.68 xG) had a combined xG value of just 1.14 – the third-lowest total of any Premier League match this season.
Andrew Omobamidele scored an own goal to gift Brighton victory and dent Nottingham Forest's chances of Premier League survival.
The Forest defender turned Pascal Gross' curling free-kick into his own goal in the 29th minute.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side pushed in search of an equaliser after the break but a lack of quality in the final third meant they failed to salvage a crucial point.
The defeat leaves them just three points above 18th-placed Luton in the relegation zone, although the Hatters have a game in hand.
Were you at the match or did you follow it from elsewhere?
Brighton fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here
There are four games being played in the Premier League on Sunday and we will bring you every moment.
Listen to radio commentaries and follow live text updates here
All times are GMT
Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.
For this weekend's games, he takes on The Zutons frontman Dave McCabe, who supports Liverpool, and Better Joy's Bria Keely, who is a Manchester City fan.
Sutton's prediction: 2-1
I am not sure if it is European football that has affected Brighton, but they are not the team they were last season.
Their home record is still pretty decent, with only one league defeat at the Amex Stadium, but I don't know how much Thursday's Europa League defeat at Roma will take out of them.
Nottingham Forest were very angry last weekend after blaming the referee for their last-gasp defeat by Liverpool - although that seemed a bit ridiculous to me because the winning goal went in a couple of minutes after they should have been given the ball from a restart.
Forest are probably still angry now, though, and I don't see their mood improving much here. I'm backing Brighton to pile on the misery for them.
Dave's prediction: 4-2
Bria's prediction: 0-1
Image source, Getty ImagesNottingham Forest are still awaiting the outcome of their ongoing Financial Fair Play hearing, with news of a possible points deduction expected to come in the next few weeks.
Forest defender Andrew Omobamidele says having "clarity" on the situation will "help" the players focus on securing their survival in the Premier League, amid another tough run of fixtures.
"I think having the clarity will help us. But, in the same breath, it's still the same solutions we're going to have to do," he told the Shut Up and Show More Football podcast.
"Regardless of a points deduction or not, we're going to still have to go into games wanting to win, wanting to get three points and wanting to do well.
"So, whichever way it falls, I think we just need to stick together. Our goal is there, regardless of a points deduction or not.
"It's something we can't control. We can only control the controllables, as a player. I think it's one of those things where we just need to knuckle down and stick together."
Nuno Espirito Santo's side are currently 17th in the Premier League, sitting just four points above the relegation zone, having played one more game than 18th-placed Luton Town.
Here are the key facts and figures before Sunday's game between Brighton and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
After their 3-2 win at the City Ground in November, Brighton are looking to complete a league double over Nottingham Forest for a third time, after 1979-80 (top flight) and 2015-16 (Championship).
Forest have failed to score in their past three league visits to Albion (D1 L2), since winning 3-2 in the Championship in 2014-15 under Dougie Freedman.
Brighton have kept just three clean sheets in their past 31 Premier League matches. They have also lost two games by three or more goals already in 2024, only one fewer than they did in the whole of 2023.
Since the start of last season, no Premier League team has lost more games to a 90th-minute or beyond winning goal than Forest, with Darwin Nunez’s goal for Liverpool last time out the fourth-latest winning goal Opta has on record in the division since 2006-07.
Only Tottenham (four) and Luton Town (zero) have given fewer Premier League minutes to teenage players this season than Forest (eight). Conversely, Brighton have awarded more minutes to teenagers than anyone else (3,749), and the most by a side in a season since Southampton in 2013-14 (6,627). A teenager has appeared in their past 52 matches, with only Everton (69 between 1997 and 1999) and Arsenal (103 between 2004 and 2007) having longer runs of consecutive matches featuring a teenager.
Of players to play at least 500 minutes in the Premier League this season, three of the four players with the most successful passes per 90 minutes are Brighton defenders Lewis Dunk (98.7, second), Jan Paul van Hecke (90.5, third), and Adam Webster (88.9, fourth).
Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist
Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Brighton.
Here are the main headlines from the Nottingham Forest boss:
He confirmed there are no new injury concerns and forward Chris Wood could be available to face Brighton.
On the club and first-team coach Steven Reid being charged for misconduct by the Football Association after confronting referee Paul Tierney following their defeat by Liverpool: "It’s difficult to control your emotions after what happened in the game. We should but it’s hard when there’s such a big situation happening."
He added that they "have to forget about that now and move forward as there are bigger issues" for the club, referring to the relegation fight and the looming possibility of a points deduction.
He said his side are "playing good and doing a lot of things well but we’re not getting anything from the games", so the only way to get more points is to "try to sustain the level of performances".
On opponents Brighton: "I know they’re a good team and how hard it is to play in Europe and have the Premier League either side. We are talking about a very good opponent with very good players and a very good manager, so we expect a very tough game."
He said his players need to "finish more clinically" and play with more awareness "to exploit" their threats. He added: "If we perform well, results will come."
Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences
Image source, Getty ImagesNottingham Forest defender Andrew Omobamidele has been discussing how the "stars aligned" for his move to the City Ground and how it feels to be part of manager Nuno Espirito Santo's plans.
"My uncle, my mum's brother Martin, he's a die-hard Forest fan," he told the Shut Up and Show More Football podcast.
"I remember, when I used to stay at my grandparent's house, I would stay in his room and it would just be covered in old Forest shirts, some of the players, some of the trophies and just pictures.
"It's mad how the world works. Obviously I wasn't thinking about it too much at the time, but obviously now I play for Forest. It's kind of like the stars aligned, in that sense."
The 21-year-old revealed his family were "immensely proud" of him signing for Forest in September 2023 and his uncle was "delighted" about the move.
He added: "I'm enjoying and loving every minute of it. I'm loving the challenge and all I really wanted was the opportunity to play. I'm a realistic person and I know you need to work for what you get, there's no such thing as handouts.
"I'm happy the boss has given me the chance to play and, every time he gives me the chance, I'm going to try my best."
Image source, PA MediaWest Ham forward Michail Antonio does not believe many other clubs will follow Nottingham Forest's lead in recruiting a referee analyst.
Antonio and Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney debate Mark Clattenburg's role at the City Ground on the latest episode of the Footballers' Football Podcast.
Forest were unhappy with a decision made by referee Paul Tierney during the closing stages of their game with Liverpool on Saturday, after which the visitors scored a dramatic late winner to secure a 1-0 victory.
Former Premier League official Clattenburg is working with Forest on a consultancy basis.
Asked if he thought similar arrangements may become more common, Antonio said: "No, it's not going to be a thing at all. Do you know why? Because they had him employed already and nothing came from it.
"Him being there doesn't mean the referee isn't going to keep having howlers. They've now got videos to stop them having howlers - they watch the video and still have a howler.
"There's nothing you can do, you can't stop them from having one - they have them."
Simon Stone
BBC Sport senior football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesScott McKenna's time as a Nottingham Forest player is drawing to a close.
After a stand-off during Steve Cooper's time at the club, McKenna was axed from matches and even though Nuno Espirito Santo came in as manager in December, there was no way back for the Scotland international.
With his Forest contract due to expire this summer, McKenna joined Copenhagen on loan, which means he will play for the Danish club in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
And Copenhagen's coach Jacob Neestrup has been impressed by the 27-year-old.
"He is calm and mature," he said. "It is simplicity in a very positive way. He is a defender with a big D.
"He has had a very good start in Copenhagen and I see him grow from one level to where he is now.
"He will become even stronger in terms of reaching our goals for the spring in Copenhagen."
