Woody Good Show

Nottingham Forest 7-0 Brighton & Hove Albion (Premier League) 01.02.25

Nottingham Forest hit seven of the best against Brighton & Hove Albion in an unbelievable display of attacking football at the City Ground in a memorable match that revitalises the Reds Champions League push after disappointing defeat last week.

A change of formation had Forest revert to their usual lead protection system of five at the back for the start of the game, following a 5-0 thumping at Bournemouth last week with Morato brought in to add extra defensive protection against what looked a very good Brighton & Hove Albion attack. That tweak gave the Reds a solid platform which Brighton struggled to contain with and after a high intensity start, Forest were ahead on twelve when Danilo found Morgan Gibbs-White in space out right, the England international running in to cross low where Lewis Dunk out-stretched a boot to bundle into his own net.

On 18, Anthony Elanga raced down the left to cut in and shoot across goal inches wide whilst Chris Wood looked to have a brilliant opportunity on 26 in space inside the area, he had the ball nicked off his foot by a defender as he wound back to launch, the resulting corner however by Elanga was headed home by Gibbs-White at the near post for number two.

Brighton then had an opportunity to reduce the deficit as Matz Sels was called into action to block save from Welbeck before Neco Williams struck a post with a low shot from outside the box and Chris Wood tested Verbruggen who tipped over his ambitious long range drive.

A frantic thirty two minutes had Forest soon make it three, Elanga again involved as he crossed from the right to Wood who headed down and into the net through the sprawling arms of the goalkeeper, a long wait for potential offside resulted in good news as VAR could not determine a favourable outcome for Brighton, relief for Forest who’s lead had them rapidly running away.

Danny Welbeck was millimetres from pulling a goal back with a shot that bounced down off the crossbar with the slightest fingertip by Sels perhaps the telling factor, the Reds closing out a first half with the home support more than happy with the outcome following Forest’s display of attacking intent.

Half Time: 3-0

Brighton made three changes at half time and one of those, Adingra had a pot shot from long range over the bar, early on, but despite dominating the opening exchanges they couldn’t create anything of note and always looked prone to the counter, which Forest do best at speed, Elanga on the outside right, getting to the by-line on 64 and crossing low to Wood inside the area who slotted home into an empty net.

Wood would get his hat-trick from the penalty spot after Gibbs-White was wrestled down inside the area, the New Zealander becoming the first Forest player to score a top flight hat-trick at the City Ground since Nigel Clough in 1987, his seventeenth in the league this season.

Late on Matt O’Reilly tested Sels with a curling free kick which the Belgian shot stopper tipped over the bar, before Awoniyi went up the other end and had his shot saved, falling back, eventually following a scramble to Neco Williams who belted home into the top corner from close range to make it six, and there was time for Jota Silva to get in on the act, as Brighton fell apart to allow the Portuguese star in to blast home low and hard number seven.

The biggest win in the top tier for Forest since beating Chelsea by the same score-line in 1991, an incredible performance from Nuno’s Reds who further impress with the football they play, serious eyes from across the globe are now taking note at this brilliant Forest machine.

Nottingham Forest: Sels, Aina, Morato, Milenkovic, Murillo (Boly 72), Williams, Anderson (Sangare 81), Danilo (Dominguez 65), Gibbs-White (Jota Silva 73), Elanga, Wood (Awoniyi 81).

Brighton & Hove Albion: Verbruggen, Veltman, van Hecke, Dunk, Lamptey, Hinshelwood (O’Reilly 46), Minteh, Rutter, Pedro (Gomez 46), Mitoma (Adingra 46), Welbeck (Ferguson 73).

Venue: City Ground

Daniel-Peacock Woody Good Show

*Article provided by Daniel Peacock (Editor).

*Main image @NFFC Chris Wood grabbed his second Forest hat-trick.

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