Nottingham Forest vs Brentford: How Bees Crumbled Against Ruthless Forest

Nottingham Forest swept aside Brentford to begin their Premier League campaign in dominant fashion defeating Keith Andrews' team 3-1 at the City Ground.

It was a woeful introduction for Andrews, the new incumbent after the departure of Thomas Frank during the summer, as his opening match in command quickly fell apart.

Chris Wood sealed proceedings after just five minutes, profiting from a defensive blunder at a corner to stab home.

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The New Zealander, who scored 20 league goals in the previous campaign, punished Bees' lax marking and started Forest off on a first opening-day win since 2017.

Forest midfield double act Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson were in complete control, dictating the pace of the game and sending wave after wave of attacks forward.

Brentford simply could not match the pace and precision of their hosts, who were more fluent and concentrated than their hosts from the very beginning.

The pressure was telling again in the final minutes before the break when Gibbs-White created the highlight of the match.

The £36m summer recruit from Bologna was a threat from the very first Premier League encounter.

Forest were not finished as in first-half stoppage time, Anderson pounced on a sloppy pass from Sepp van den Berg, sliding in an inch-precise through-ball to Wood, who picked his pocket calmly and scored his second of the afternoon. At 3-0, the game was all but over.

It was a dismal beginning to life for Brentford under Andrews. The new boss, who had also been the club's set-piece coach, stood by helpless as his meticulously laid-out plans were destroyed almost in the blink of an eye.

His team saw debut appearances for Kelleher, Dutch midfielder Antoni Milambo, and right-back Michael Kayode, with experienced Jordan Henderson coming on from the bench to the Premier League.

But substitutions were unable to paper over the holes left by summer departures of Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard, and Mark Flekken. And Yoane Wissa being absent as well with indications wanting him at Newcastle, Brentford were shadows of a squad that had once boasted about striking above its weight.

The difference between the two groups was most apparent in midfield. Gibbs-White, having recently put pen to paper on a new three-year contract amid interest from Tottenham and Manchester City, showed why Forest had fought so hard to keep him. His range of passing, pressing, and creativity dictated the tempo, with Anderson the perfect foil.

The England star almost rounded off his show with a breathtaking overhead kick, only to be thwarted by Kelleher. Nevertheless, his imprint on the game was evident as Forest played with the fluency they lacked in pre-season, when they managed to find the net just once in seven friendlies.

Brentford did grab a late lifeline as Igor Thiago hit from a penalty after Ibrahim Sangare's handball, the Brazilian striker scoring for the first time since joining from Club Brugge. It was little consolation though on a gloomy afternoon that left the Bees perched only above the drop zone on goal difference.

For Forest, the result was a statement. After coming just short of Champions League qualification last year, they made it known they wanted their revenge this year—courtesy of new signings, revitalized Gibbs-White, and an attack that seems to have the ability to unsettle anyone.