A first-half brace from Chris Wood helped Nottingham Forest to a commanding 3-1 victory over Brentford at the City Ground on Sunday, condemning new Bees manager Keith Andrews to defeat in his first Premier League match in charge.
Forest overwhelmed the visitors in the opening 45 minutes, with Wood scoring in the fifth minute before debutant Dan Ndoye headed in a second. Wood sealed his brace in first-half stoppage time to put the result beyond doubt.
Brentford, under new management following the departure of Thomas Frank to Tottenham, struggled to cope with Forest’s intensity. They secured a late consolation goal from the penalty spot through new signing Igor Thiago, but it did little to flatter a disjointed performance.
The hosts, who narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification last season, established their dominance early when Wood scored from close range following a corner. Their advantage was doubled three minutes before the interval when Ndoye, a summer signing from Bologna, met a superb chipped cross from captain Morgan Gibbs-White.
Wood then capitalised on an errant pass from Sepp van den Berg, coolly rounding goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher to give Forest a 3-0 lead at the break.
Gibbs-White, who recently signed a new contract, was the architect of Forest’s victory, delivering a masterful performance in midfield.
The defeat highlighted the significant rebuilding task facing Andrews at Brentford. The club sold several key players over the summer, and their new-look side was unable to contain a sharp and confident Forest team.
Nottingham Forest travel to face Crystal Palace next Sunday, while Brentford will host Aston Villa on Saturday.
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