Nottm Forest 3-1 Brentford (17 Aug, 2025) Game Analysis
A brace from Chris Wood inspired Nottingham Forest to a comfortable 3-1 win over Brentford at the City Ground on Sunday.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s side needed just five minutes to take the lead in front of their home supporters, courtesy of a neat finish in the box from Wood.
Dan Ndoye then doubled Forest’s lead before the New Zealand international rounded Brentford’s new goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher just before half-time to take his side into the break 3-0 up.
Brentford, playing in the Premier League for the first time under new boss and former set-piece coach Keith Andrews, continued to struggle in the second-half and a late penalty from Igor Thiago was not enough to stir a comeback as the west London club fell to a comprehensive defeat in the Midlands.
The result will ease Nuno’s pre-match worries though, as the Forest manager had expressed his “concern” over the lack of options at his disposal ahead of the new season.
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His side had only scored one goal in six excruciating pre-season friendlies, but they did not need long to break the deadlock on Sunday.
Elliot Anderson’s corner fell to Wood and the striker picked up where he left off last season by slamming home the loose ball from close range.
Such was the novelty of scoring a goal after a barren preseason, the celebrations on the touchline were so wild that goalkeeping coach Rui Barbosa needed medical treatment after hitting his head on the roof of the dugout and suffering a nasty cut.
Forest were electric and almost scored a brilliant team goal as new signing Ndoye, Morgan Gibbs-White and Anderson all combined, with the latter seeing a goalbound shot well blocked by Sepp van den Berg.
Brentford looked to establish themselves in the game and forced goalkeeper Matz Sels into a good save when Yegor Yarmolyuk fizzed in a low shot.
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But Forest continued to dominate and two goals in five minutes before half-time put them well in the ascendancy.
Morgan Gibbs-White arced in a delicious cross in the 42nd minute for Ndoye to send a flying header into the top corner. Then in the second minute of time added on, Wood doubled his tally putting the ball into in an empty net.
Forest were irresistible after the break as they searched for more goals.
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Callum Hudson-Odoi, reportedly on the brink of signing a new contract, stung the palms of Kelleher before Gibbs-White hooked an acrobatic effort just over the crossbar.
Brentford brought on Jordan Henderson for a Premier League return in the 68th minute as they tried to stem the tide and 10 minutes later they had reduced their deficit.
Forest midfielder Ibrahim Sangaré handled the ball in the area and Thiago rolled home the resulting penalty.
There was no grandstand finish, though, as Forest got their season off to a winning start and Brentford got a taste of what life after Thomas Frank might look like.
“I think we start really well, I know the expectations were high but the performance was really very, very good, we are very pleased,” Forest boss Nuno said post match.
“Lot of things impressed me, I think we combined really well, the movements for the goal — but me as I am I was delighted with the way the team defended, compact, solid … Didn’t allow anything to Brentford, that is always our main focus.”
Brentford’s new boss Andrews was on the receiving end of a tough welcome to first-team management and didn’t mince his words speaking about his side’s performance in Nottingham.
“Disappointed, clearly. Game was pretty much done at half-time,” he said. “Didn’t like a lot of what I seen in the first-half … You have to do the basics at this level to give yourself a chance of winning games.
“Ultimately as well there was just a naivety I felt around that performance at times in the first-half, which again I didn’t particularly like. Second half was a different type of game for us but by that stage game is pretty much done.”
Information from PA contributed to this report.