Brighton endured a humiliating 7-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest in their Premier League clash on February 1, as Nuno Espírito Santo’s side delivered a dominant performance to strengthen their position in the league.
The emphatic victory propelled Forest to third place, level on points with second-placed Arsenal but trailing on goal difference (+23 to +13) ahead of the Gunners’ upcoming fixture against Manchester City.
The result also moved them within six points of league leaders Liverpool, who still have a game in hand and are set to face Bournemouth.
Forest wasted no time asserting their authority, racing to a 3-0 lead within the first 32 minutes.
Brighton captain Lewis Dunk inadvertently turned the ball into his own net in the 12th minute, before Morgan Gibbs-White (25th) and Chris Wood (32nd) further extended the advantage.
Wood continued his stellar form in the second half, completing a hat-trick with goals in the 64th and 69th minutes—the latter from the penalty spot—bringing his tally to 17 league goals this season. Neco Williams (89th) and Jota Silva (90+1) added late strikes to complete a historic scoreline.
This result marked Nottingham Forest’s biggest Premier League victory since their 7-0 thrashing of Chelsea in 1991, further highlighting their resurgence under Espírito Santo.
It also came just days after their previous match ended in a disappointing 5-0 defeat at Bournemouth, making their response all the more emphatic.
Ivorian international Simon Adingra, who was introduced at half-time to replace Kaoru Mitoma, was unable to make an impact as Brighton struggled to recover from the onslaught.
The Seagulls will now look to regroup quickly in hopes of bouncing back from one of their heaviest defeats in recent memory.
