Nottingham Forest brought Brentford’s long unbeaten home streak to an end with a commanding 2-0 victory in west London, ensuring they will spend Christmas firmly inside the Premier League’s top four.
Despite a sluggish start at the Gtech Community Stadium, Forest grew into the game and dismantled Brentford’s resistance with goals in each half from Ola Aina and Anthony Elanga. The Bees, fatigued after playing their third game in under a week, began brightly but quickly ran out of energy, unable to cope with Forest’s dynamic and incisive forward play.
Forest nearly struck first when Chris Wood’s header from six yards was brilliantly saved by Mark Flekken, though better placement would have left the goalkeeper with no chance. They didn’t have to wait long for the breakthrough, as Ola Aina embarked on a 40-yard run unchallenged, meeting Neco Williams’ low cross and guiding the ball into the far corner just before halftime.
The visitors doubled their lead early in the second half. Elanga capitalized on Keane Lewis-Potter’s heavy touch, dispossessed him, and twisted inside Ben Mee before curling a precise shot past Flekken. Brentford, struggling to create meaningful opportunities, came closest through Kristoffer Ajer, whose thunderous rising strike was blocked by Matz Sels’ face on its way over the bar.
Forest’s defensive solidity shone once again, solidifying their status as one of the league’s toughest teams to break down. They cruised to their fifth away win of the season—matching their total across the previous two campaigns combined—and now sit ahead of Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Newcastle in the standings. Brentford, meanwhile, suffered their first home defeat since the final day of last season.
