A Chris Wood hat-trick alongside a trio of assists from Anthony Elanga compounded Fabian Hürzeler’s Brighton to a miserable afternoon at the City Ground on Saturday. An own goal from Lewis Dunk alongside finishes from Morgan Gibbs-White and substitute Jota Silva completed the rout.
In a first half of great chances for both sides, Forest were the more clinical and ruthless. Brighton could not find a way past the brilliant Matz Sels, which allowed for the home side to run away with the game after half-time.
As it happened
Heading into the Saturday lunchtime fixture, Forest were hoping to bounce back after their five-nil thumping at the hands of Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth side, whilst Brighton also suffered defeat at the Amex to David Moyes’ Everton last time out.
The game started with tempo and energy as both Murillo and Danny Welbeck’s names went into referee Simon Hooper’s notebook – but the deadlock was broken before long, as the returning Danilo clipped a loose ball out wide beyond Tariq Lamptey after 12 minutes. Gibbs-White was able to drive into the area and delivered a cross which was inadvertently turned home by the unfortunate Lewis Dunk.
Embed from Getty ImagesMoments later, Morato made a huge block to keep his side ahead as Jack Hinshelwood struck a loose ball in the area goal-bound as Brighton looked to reply immediately. In return, Elanga countered at pace down the left-flank and drifted into the box to narrowly fire wide of Bart Verbruggen’s far post. This set a pattern for how the remainder of the half would be encapsulated.
Hinshelwood also found himself in the book for a wild, out-of-control swipe which could have easily been upgraded to a red if concrete contact was made with Gibbs-White. A lucky escape for the young man.
Gibbs-White doubled the home side’s lead in the 25th minute as Elanga delivered a sweet in-swinging corner that Gibbs-White – on his 100th appearance for the club – powered past Verbruggen. Any fears prior to the game regarding Forest and a potential downturn in league form were being answered with this first-half showing.
As he has so many times this season, Sels made an important save to deny Yankuba Minteh from getting Brighton back into the game, using his whole frame to close down the former Newcastle forward. In response, Ola Aina was played out right and picked out Chris Wood, who struck from distance which forced Verbruggen to tip it over.
Another Brighton chance came. This time Kaoru Mitoma fired a ball which was only cleared as far as Lamptey on the edge of the area, who curled an effort just over – but then it was immediately three, and almost certainly game over as Elanga found himself on the right-hand side and whipped a ball to the back-post where Wood headed beyond the Brighton keeper. VAR applied a lengthy offside review which failed to save the away side, as the Kiwi celebrated his 15th league goal of the season.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt was destined to be Forest’s day when Welbeck rattled an effort destined for the top-right corner only for Sels to tip it onto the woodwork, which bounced agonisingly close to the goal-line; Hooper glanced at his watch and confirmed the no goal decision.
Frustration grew for the Seagulls as Hürzeler was booked for something he said on the touchline when no penalty was given for a collision in the area between Serbian colossus, Nikola Milenkovic and Welbeck.
Elanga had been sensational all game and picked up a hat-trick of assists as Forest made it four shortly after the hour-mark. He powered past numerous Brighton defenders and whipped a low, teasing ball into Wood to stroke home past a frustrated Verbruggen for his 16th league goal of the season. If it wasn’t over before, it certainly was now.
Wood joined Elanga in claiming his own treble as Lamptey was all over Gibbs-White from a corner and hauled him to the ground. Hooper had no choice but to point to the spot. Brighton’s miserable trip up to the Midlands was compounded as Wood struck again for five in the 69th minute.
Embed from Getty ImagesThat was not the end of Forest’s superiority. Substitute Taiwo Awoniyi turned his man with ease in the area but saw his effort tipped away only as far as Neco Williams who powered into the roof of the net for six, before a Verbruggen horror pass straight to another substitute in Jota Silva allowed the Portuguese winger to slot home the seventh of the afternoon.
Forest moved back level on points with second-placed Arsenal on 47 points and gave their goal difference a huge boost. Meanwhile, Brighton remained – for the time being – in ninth on 34 points, but saw their goal difference drop down to -3. The sides are not in league action again for two weeks, when Forest will take a trip to Craven Cottage to face Fulham as Brighton host Chelsea.
The lineups
NFO: Sels; Murillo, Milenković, Morato; Williams, Danilo, Anderson, Aina; Gibbs-White; Wood, Elanga
BHA: Verbruggen; Lamptey, Dunk, van Hecke, Veltman; Hinshelwood; Mitoma, Pedro, Rutter, Minteh; Welbeck