Nottingham Forest produced an incredible display at the City Ground, thrashing Brighton 7-0 in the Premier League.
The hosts showed no mercy, bouncing back from their recent 5-0 defeat to Bournemouth.
Chris Wood was a standout performer, netting a superb hat-trick to take his season tally to 17 goals.
His first came midway through the first half, with Forest already displaying dominance in possession and pressing Brighton into errors.
Wood’s second and third goals arrived in the second half, the latter from the penalty spot after Tyriq Lamptey’s reckless foul on Morgan Gibbs-White. Wood slotted the spot-kick into the bottom-right corner, completing his hat-trick and sealing a memorable day for both himself and the club.
Anthony Elanga also put in a special performance, providing three assists with his trademark pace and directness.
Bouncing back in style. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/is02ohIS54
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) February 1, 2025
His driving run and precise cut-back set up Wood for Forest’s fourth goal, and he continued to trouble Brighton’s backline throughout. Neco Williams added his name to the scoresheet with a thumping finish into the top-left corner after Brighton failed to clear their lines.
Brighton, for their part, looked out of sorts from the outset. Defensive errors plagued their performance, with goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen enduring a nightmare afternoon.
His misplaced pass late in the game gifted Jota Silva his first Forest goal, capping off the rout. Verbruggen’s frustration boiled over, earning him a yellow card for dissent in the closing moments.
Despite Brighton’s attempts to claw back some dignity, with efforts from Rutter and O’Riley forcing saves from the imperious Sels, Forest’s defence remained tight. Sels’s fingertip save to deny O’Riley’s curling free-kick was a testament to his form this season, keeping his clean sheet intact.
The victory marks Forest’s biggest Premier League win in recent history and lifts the mood considerably after their previous defeat to the Cherries.
For Brighton, this heavy loss raises questions about their defensive organisation, particularly given their strong performances earlier in the season.
