Nottingham Forest delivered a historic performance on Saturday lunchtime, thrashing Brighton & Hove Albion 7-0 at the City Ground.
Coming off the back of a humbling 5-0 loss to Bournemouth, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side responded in spectacular fashion, securing their biggest-ever Premier League win. Meanwhile, Brighton suffered their worst league defeat since 1958.
Match Recap
Forest wasted no time asserting dominance, taking the lead inside 12 minutes after Brighton captain Lewis Dunk turned the ball into his own net. Morgan Gibbs-White doubled the lead with a glancing header, before Chris Wood made it 3-0 before halftime.
The hosts continued their rampage in the second half, with Wood completing his hat-trick, including a penalty, while Neco Williams and Jota Silva capitalized on defensive errors to seal the emphatic 7-0 win.
This victory was a statement performance from Forest, proving their resilience after last week’s setback.
Nottingham Forest Player Ratings (3-4-1-2)
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| GK: Matz Sels | 8.7/10 |
| CB: Morato | 7.5/10 |
| CB: Nikola Milenkovic | 7.1/10 |
| CB: Murillo | 7.7/10 |
| RWB: Ola Aina | 7.7/10 |
| CM: Elliot Anderson | 7.5/10 |
| CM: Danilo | 6.9/10 |
| LWB: Neco Williams | 8.6/10 |
| AM: Morgan Gibbs-White | 8.7/10 |
| ST: Anthony Elanga | 9.4/10 |
| ST: Chris Wood | 9.6/10 ⭐ Player of the Match |
Substitutes
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Nicolas Dominguez (65′ for Danilo) | 6.6/10 |
| Willy Boly (72′ for Murillo) | 6.4/10 |
| Jota Silva (72′ for Gibbs-White) | 7.3/10 |
| Ibrahim Sangare (82′ for Anderson) | N/A |
| Taiwo Awoniyi (82′ for Wood) | N/A |
Subs not used: Carlos Miguel (GK), Alex Moreno, Ryan Yates, Ramon Sosa.
Brighton Player Ratings (4-1-4-1)
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| GK: Bart Verbruggen | 3.4/10 |
| RB: Joel Veltman | 5.1/10 |
| CB: Jan Paul van Hecke | 4.6/10 |
| CB: Lewis Dunk | 3.9/10 |
| LB: Tariq Lamptey | 3.9/10 |
| CM: Jack Hinshelwood | 5.5/10 |
| RM: Yankuba Minteh | 7.6/10 |
| CM: Georginio Rutter | 7.0/10 |
| CM: Joao Pedro | 6.2/10 |
| LM: Kaoru Mitoma | 5.8/10 |
| ST: Danny Welbeck | 6.4/10 |
Substitutes
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Diego Gomez (46′ for Hinshelwood) | 6.8/10 |
| Matt O’Riley (46′ for Pedro) | 5.9/10 |
| Simon Adingra (46′ for Mitoma) | 6.0/10 |
| Evan Ferguson (73′ for Welbeck) | 6.1/10 |
Subs not used: Carl Rushworth (GK), Adam Webster, Ruairi McConville, Brajan Gruda, Joe Knight.
Key Takeaways
✅ Historic Win: Forest’s biggest-ever Premier League victory and Brighton’s worst league loss since 1958.
✅ Chris Wood’s Masterclass: A hat-trick hero, leading from the front.
✅ Elanga’s Playmaking Excellence: Three assists to fuel Forest’s rampant attack.
✅ Brighton’s Collapse: Defensive errors led to seven conceded goals—a shocking performance.
Final Verdict
Nottingham Forest responded brilliantly to their humiliating defeat last week, proving their attacking prowess and resilience. Brighton, on the other hand, will need to regroup quickly after a disastrous display.
Forest dominated every aspect, with Wood and Elanga standing out. This statement win could kickstart their push for a strong finish in the league.
Final Score: Nottingham Forest 7-0 Brighton
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