Nottingham Forest delivered a commanding performance on Saturday, February 1st, 2025, defeating Brighton 7-0 at the City Ground. The match, which kicked off at 3:00 pm, witnessed an impressive attendance of 30,164 spectators. Chris Wood stole the spotlight by scoring a remarkable hat-trick, marking the first top-flight hat-trick at the City Ground since Nigel Clough in 1987. This victory propelled Nottingham Forest to 47 points, placing them level with Arsenal and solidifying their position in the Premier League standings.
Chris Wood's performance was nothing short of spectacular. His hat-trick not only contributed to Nottingham Forest's emphatic win but also set a new personal record of 17 league goals in a season for him. Morgan Gibbs-White also found the back of the net, adding to the team's tally. Moreover, the match saw an early dent in Brighton's game plan when Lewis Dunk scored an own goal in the 12th minute, further fueling Forest's dominance.
Nottingham Forest's defense held strong throughout the match, earning their 10th clean sheet of the season, making them the team with the most clean sheets in the Premier League. This defensive prowess was pivotal in maintaining their formidable lead and thwarting Brighton's attempts to retaliate. On the flip side, Brighton continued their unfortunate trend of own goals, having scored more than any other side since their Premier League debut in the 2017-18 season.
Lewis Dunk's own goal added to his tally of seven Premier League own goals, a record surpassed only by Richard Dunne. Brighton's struggle was evident as Nottingham Forest's victory became their biggest league win since their 7-0 triumph over Chelsea in April 1991. This outcome left Brighton reeling and Sky Sports' Lewis Jones describing their performance as "abysmal."
Brighton's manager, Fabian Hurzeler, faced a challenging task in identifying what went wrong during the match. He acknowledged that his team was not at their best and struggled to pinpoint a single factor that contributed to their poor performance. Despite this setback, Hurzeler remained focused on regrouping his squad and addressing the issues that plagued their game.
With this victory, Nottingham Forest moved seven points clear of sixth place, increasing their chances of securing a fifth-placed finish and qualifying for the Champions League. The team's resurgence underlines their growing confidence and potential for success on a larger stage.
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