Nottingham Forest vs Brentford Report

Scorers: Schade 44’, Wissa 70’

Nottingham Forest’s hopes of a top-five Premier League finish took a major hit as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at home to Brentford. The result leaves Forest vulnerable in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification, while Brentford recorded a sixth win in their last eight away league matches to keep their faint European hopes alive.

First Half – Schade Strikes After Defensive Lapse

Forest entered this contest knowing a win would lift them back into third place, but their performance failed to reflect the stakes. Brentford started on the front foot and should have taken the lead when Mikkel Damsgaard’s pinpoint free-kick found Sepp van den Berg, whose powerful header was superbly saved by Matz Sels.

The hosts struggled to assert themselves and were left frustrated when Keane Lewis-Potter avoided a second yellow card for a trip on Anthony Elanga. Forest’s woes were compounded on the brink of half-time as a misjudged long ball from Nathan Collins caught Ola Aina off balance, allowing Kevin Schade to pounce and fire Brentford ahead with his first goal in nine appearances.

Second Half – Wissa Punishes Wasteful Forest

Nuno Espírito Santo’s side showed greater urgency after the break, with Elanga coming close as his low shot was smartly saved by Mark Flekken. Despite dominating possession and pushing Brentford deep into their own half, Forest failed to create many clear chances.

Brentford capitalised ruthlessly on the hosts’ desperation in the 70th minute. A long punt from Flekken was inexplicably misjudged by the Forest backline, and Yoane Wissa raced through to expertly chip Sels and double the visitors’ lead. Forest huffed and puffed in the closing stages, but their final-third quality was lacking, and they failed to seriously trouble Flekken for the remainder of the match.

What It Means

Back-to-back home defeats have left Forest’s UCL hopes hanging in the balance, and they could drop out of the top five depending on results elsewhere. Brentford, meanwhile, maintain a slim chance of European qualification through eighth place, though they’ll need a perfect finish and favourable results in the FA Cup and elsewhere in the league.

Key Stats

• Brentford have now won six of their last eight away Premier League matches.
• This was Nottingham Forest’s first run of back-to-back home league losses all season.
• Kevin Schade netted his first goal in nine appearances for Brentford.
• Forest failed to score at home in the league for the first time in 2025.

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Nott’m Forest v Brentford, 2024/25 | Premier League