Nottingham Forest vs Brentford; Premier League
Nottingham Forest vs Brentford. Premier League.
The City GroundAttendance29,949.
Nottingham Forest 3
- C Wood (5th minute, 47th minute)
- D Ndoye (42nd minute)
Brentford 1
- I Thiago (78th minute pen)
Nottingham Forest 3-1 Brentford: Classy Chris Wood double powers first Premier League victory of season
Report and free match highlights as Nottingham Forest piled more misery on depleted Brentford as new winger Dan Ndoye scored a debut goal and Chris Wood registered his first double of the new season; Igor Thiago reduced arrears from the penalty spot but Bees were well beaten
Monday 18 August 2025 06:52, UK
Chris Wood scored twice as Nottingham Forest beat sorry Brentford 3-1 on a gruelling managerial bow for Keith Andrews.
The former set-piece coach, taking over from Thomas Frank after his summer move to Tottenham, could only watch on as his side suffered an embarrassing first-half collapse, conceding twice to Wood - the first, ironically, from a corner - with a debut goal for Dan Ndoye sandwiched between.
The hosts were superior in every department, embarking on a season that includes European football for the first time since 1996. Nuno Espirito Santo might have expressed "concern" ahead of the match, citing a lack of options in his squad, but he will feel much better after such a rampant display.
And with the manager's plea for "more players" answered - new signings Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee were introduced at the City Ground before kick-off - Forest appear to be in particularly healthy shape.
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Gibbs-White showed his class, too, providing a slick assist for Ndoye to send a flying header into the top corner, and might have earned himself a penalty when clashing with Sepp van den Berg in the box, only for Brentford to be awarded a spot-kick at the opposite end shortly after.
Igor Thiago converted from 12 yards to give Andrews a brief moment of solace but the Bees were ultimately well beaten - the Irishman has got his work cut out to get a Brentford side bereft of star man Yoane Wissa competing at Premier League standard.
"Forest were very good, particularly the first half - it was over by half-time," Roy Keane reflected on Super Sunday. "It was one-way traffic."
With more signings to come and a Europa League journey to look forward to after last season's seventh-place finish, Forest fans may harbour more optimism than their manager of another fruitful campaign.
Nuno doubles down on need for 'more options'
Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo, speaking to Sky Sports:
"I think we started really well. Expectations were high but the performance was really good and we are really pleased. A lot of things impressed me.
"We combined really well. I was delighted with how the team defended. That is always our main focus.
"We always want to play the best way that is possible. It's a matter of approach and how we try to improve things.
On transfer window activity, he added: "Today doesn't change what we address during the week. The squad needs more solutions and more options and more balance."
Andrews bemoans 'naivety'
Brentford boss Keith Andrews, speaking to Sky Sports:
"The game was pretty much done at half-time and I didn't like a lot of what I saw in the first half.
"You have to do the basics at this level to give yourself a chance of winning games. It was the game we knew would be. Ball losses in critical areas cost us. There was a naivety I felt in some cases."
On the absence of Yoanne Wissa, he added: "It is what it is. It's an ongoing issue. Ideally Wissa would have been available today and unless anything has happened in the last few hours then it's the same things.
"Hopefully it can resolve itself sooner rather than later. We're always looking and there's a clear plan at the club if a player leaves."
What more could Nuno want?
Analysis from Sky Sports' Laura Hunter:
Forest made a bit of a mockery of Nuno Espirito Santo's pre-match worries during an impressive season opener.
Nuno had referenced being "short on options" in midweek, something he doubled down on after the game. "The club knows the needs of the squad so we have to be patient and see. The faster they come, the better," he said.
Perhaps Forest do need additional bodies to compete on European frontiers in addition to Premier League commitments, but this is already a fairly complete team.
They did everything better than Brentford, which, in truth, was not hard.
Still, Morgan Gibbs-White oozed style. Elliot Anderson ran midfield and produced an early contender for assist of the season. Chris Wood picked up where he left off last year. Callum Hudson-Odoi was a handful too.
Nuno should count himself lucky. This is an exciting squad with exceptional talent. What more could he want?
