Neal Maupay netted a 68th minute winner as Brentford defeated Nottingham Forest 3-2 on Ivan Toney’s return from an eight-month ban.
Maupay smashed in his winner on a sharp swivelled turn from Mads Roerslev’s pass to clinch the win and ended the Bees’ five-match losing run in the Premier League, as Thomas Frank’s team moved up to 14th in the table.
Ivan Toney’s 19th minute low strike from a free-kick had earlier pulled Brentford level after Danilo had put Forest into a shock third-minute lead with his half-volley effort.
Ben Mee then nodded the hosts ahead in the 58th minute from Mathias Jensen’s corner-kick, only for Chris Wood to nod in an equaliser for Forest just seven minutes later from Callum Hudson-Odoi’s cross.
Forest slipped to 16th with a first defeat under Nuno Espirito Santo which left them four points above the relegation zone, albeit with a possible points deduction hanging over them after a breach of Profit nd Sustainability rules.
Speaking post-match to Sky Sports, Toney admitted that he had “manifested” the idea of being “back scoring goals and winning with the team” because his winning return “was a long time coming.”
Toney added that he had practiced his free-kicks in training with mixed success but in the build-up, he moved the ball slightly from the allocated spot yet “was so happy to see it go in.”
“I practice free-kicks in training. Everyone batters me because most of them end up in the car park, but when it matters I deliver so it’s all good.”
On what it meant to be back playing competitive football, Toney concluded: “I’m grateful to be back playing with the lads, I’ve missed it so much. The fans, everyone… Yeah I’m back, I’m back.”
Despite Brentford and Forest having sat three and four points above the relegation zone respectively prior to kick-off, all attention was on Toney’s return for the hosts after an eight-month ban for breaches of FA rules in regards to betting.
Forest meanwhile made just one change from their midweek FA Cup win at Blackpool in a Third Round replay – as Gonzalo Montiel came in for Neco Williams, yet they started the brightest with a series of early attacks.
Brentford soon came unstuck in the third minute as a number of loose clearances eventually fell at the feet of Danilo, of which the Brazilian midfielder duly dispatched into the bottom-right corner on a half-volley to stun the home crowd into silence.
Ryan Yates missed chances to double Forest’s lead in the seventh and 13th minutes, as he first fired wide of the left-corner before his second attempt was deflected to Hudson-Odoi who also saw his shot deflected away from goal.
Brentford eventually found a burst of energy in the 18th minute as Mikkel Damsgaard broke forward and forced a foul from Orel Mangala just outside of the box.
That error soon proved costly for Forest’s lead because having sat out Brentford’s last 26 matches, Toney calmly stepped up and smashed the free-kick through the wall into the near-bottom right corner to restore parity and sent home fans wild in jubilation.
Forest however failed to take heed from their set-piece blunder in the 27th minute as Andrew Omobamidele conceded a corner, which found Keane Lewis-Potter unmarked to flick a header across towards the bottom-right corner but Wood was alert to make the clearance.
Lewis-Potter almost converted another chance a further four minutes later but his shot ricocheted off the underside of the crossbar and was cleared off the goal line.
Both teams soon failed to find a second goal in a see-saw finish to the first half, with the score locked at 1-1 which coincidentally was the result in their meeting at Forest’s City Ground in October 2023 earlier this season.
Brentford soon set about avoiding a repeat early in the second half as Lewis-Potter saw a 53rd minute cross blocked and deflected into the safety of Matt Turner’s arms, before his pullback pass in the 57th minute was deflected behind.
That block proved the perfect opportunity for Brentford to capitalise upon a minute later, as Mee was left unmarked to nod Jensen’s corner-kick into the far-right corner to put the hosts ahead.
Forest fought back quickly as just seven minutes later, Wood nodded Hudson-Odoi’s cross into the right corner unmarked in-between Ethan Pinnock and Mee.
Mangala almost completed the visitors’ comeback in the 67th minute as he picked up Wood’s outstretched lay-off pass, but the Belgian rifled his shot wide over the bar.
Brentford quickly punished that wasted chance a minute later as Maupay picked up Mads Roerslev’s cross and swiveled into space, from which he calmly on-turn smashed his shot across into the bottom-right corner to put the Bees back in front.
The game soon became end-to-end as Forest chased an equaliser during which Mangala and Jensen both saw shots denied.
Brentford ultimately held on for a first win since early December in front of a thrilled home crowd, whilst they also moved six points clear of the relegation zone with a game in hand on most of their immediate rivals.
What’s Next?
Brentford now will visit Tottenham in their next league match on Wednesday 31 January in a 7:30pm GMT kick-off at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Forest meanwhile visit Bristol City in the FA Cup on Friday 26 January at 7:45pm, before Espirito Santo’s Reds host Arsenal at the City Ground 24 hours earlier on Tuesday 30 January in their next top-flight match.
Teams
Brentford: Mark Flekken, Nathan Collins, Ben Mee, Ethan Pinnock, Mads Roerslev (Ajer 90′), Vitaly Janelt, Mathias Jensen (Yarmoliuk 97′), Mikkel Damsgaard (Baptiste 74′), Keane Lewis-Potter (Dasilva 90′), Neal Maupay (Reguilon 74′), Ivan Toney
Substitutes: Josh Dasilva, Sergio Reguilon, Mathias Jorgensen, Kristoffer Ajer, Thomas Strakosha, Myles Peart-Harris, Shandon Baptiste, Yehor Yarmoliuk, Michael Olakigbe
Nottingham Forest: Matt Turner, Gonzalo Montiel (Aguilera 86′), Andrew Omobamidele, Murillo, Nuno Tavares, Orel Mangala, Danilo, Nicolas Dominguez, Ryan Yates (Williams 62′), Callum Hudson-Odoi, Chris Wood
Substitutes: Joe Worrall, Neco Williams, Harry Toffolo, Odysses Vlachodimos, Scott McKenna, Brandon Aguilera, Detlef Osong, Jamie McDonnell, Joe Gardner
Referee – Darren England
Leave a Reply