Finally. Fortress Gtech was breached, its keep torn asunder by the pragmatism of Nuno Espírito Santo. The Premier League season’s surprise package took down the best home record as Nottingham Forest solidified the top-four place for Christmas they had kicked off in after Manchester City’s latest disaster.
![[Anthony Elanga scores Nottingham Forest’s second goal in their comfortable 2-0 victory over Brentford.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/634c20e577e0f666049d56a6ba81254c029c15fd/0_34_2760_1656/master/2760.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
The highest-ranked yet visitors to the stadium where goals and victories had previously rained down for Thomas Frank’s team kept Brentford at bay with a mix of discipline and cutting edge, their goals from Ola Aina and Anthony Elanga both pincer movements seizing on defensive disorganisation.
With all-out attack will come openings. Frank’s team’s commitment to playing on the front failed to bring them early fruit. As is habitual, they went straight at Forest only to be eventually and methodically picked off. Forest appeared light in midfield ballast as they attempted to ride out that early storm. Ryan Yates, Forest’s agitator, was only fit enough for the bench, leaving Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson as the midfield pairing in front of a back three. Yoane Wissa’s run and ball inside fed Mikkel Damsgaard, usually Brentford’s creator, who forced Matz Sels to save in the fourth minute. Next, Bryan Mbeumo, from the same wing, set up Nathan Collins for a header just wide.
