Nottingham Forest handed Brentford their first home defeat of the season as they continued their pursuit of a European spot.
Goals from Ola Aina and Anthony Elanga, coupled with solid defensive work, secured Forest’s third consecutive victory. The result propelled Nuno Espirito Santo’s side into third place, one point ahead of fourth-placed Arsenal, who play Crystal Palace later on Saturday (17:30 GMT).
After weathering some early pressure from Brentford, Forest took the lead near the end of the first half when Neco Williams delivered a low cross from the left, which Aina slotted into the bottom left corner.
The visitors doubled their lead shortly after the break when Elanga pounced on a mistake from Keane Lewis-Potter, charging into the penalty area before calmly finishing past Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken.
Brentford, who came into the match with the best home record in the Premier League, struggled to break down Forest despite enjoying plenty of possession. Mikkel Damsgaard and Yoane Wissa both missed first-half chances to give the Bees the lead, while Kristoffer Ajer’s close-range effort was superbly saved by Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels.
The defeat left Brentford in 12th place, having lost three times in just seven days.
Defensive Trio Lays Platform for Forest Win
When Nuno Espirito Santo was appointed as head coach 12 months ago, Forest were teetering above the relegation zone. After securing their top-flight status, he has transformed them into a Champions League contender.
With notable victories at Anfield and Old Trafford, Forest reached 31 points after 17 matches, marking the earliest they’ve reached 30 points in a top-flight season since finishing third in 1987-88. They are also two points ahead of their tally in the 1994-95 season, the last time they qualified for Europe in the old UEFA Cup.
Central to their success has been the performance of their three central defenders—summer signings Morato and Nikola Milenkovic, alongside Murillo. Their solid displays neutralized Brentford’s attacking threats, including Bryan Mbeumo, Wissa, and Kevin Schade, as Forest became the first team to prevent Brentford from scoring at home this season.