Alious
Forest continued their remarkable ascent up the Premier League table with a disciplined 2-0 victory at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium, marking their first clean sheet at a venue where the hosts had been nearly invincible.
The win, orchestrated by Nuno Espirito Santo, featured well-taken goals from Ola Aina and Anthony Elanga in respective halves.
Despite their lofty position, Nuno maintained a grounded perspective, emphasizing the long road ahead and downplaying their current standing.
The victory, their seventh in ten league matches, highlighted Forest’s transformation from last season’s relegation battlers to this campaign’s European contenders.
The match wasn’t without its nervous moments for Forest. Early on, they survived scares when Mikkel Damsgaard found space in the box, and a defensive mix-up between Murillo and Morato almost gifted Yoane Wissa a golden opportunity.
However, Forest’s resilience showed as they weathered these storms.
The breakthrough came through clever build-up play, with Hudson-Odoi finding Williams on the left, whose cross was expertly finished by Aina after Wood’s near-miss.
Their second goal capitalized on Lewis-Potter’s defensive error, with Elanga punishing the mistake with a precise finish past Flekken.
Goalkeeper Matz Sels proved crucial in maintaining Forest’s advantage, making a remarkable point-blank save against Kristoffer Ajer, albeit with some fortune as the ball deflected off his face.
This defensive solidity, combined with their attacking efficiency, helped Forest become the first team to keep a clean sheet at Brentford this season.
Thomas Frank, Brentford’s manager, maintained his team performed well despite the result, citing their dominance in possession and creation of dangerous situations, though he acknowledged they lacked the final cutting edge.
The result adds to Forest’s impressive away record, which includes victories at Old Trafford and Anfield, plus a draw at Stamford Bridge.
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