Nottingham Forest’s unsung hero cannot be overlooked after 7-0 Brighton thrashing
For all Forest’s attacking flair during their biggest league win since 1991, a key component of their Champions League push is not getting enough credit
Nottingham Forest 7-0 Brighton (Dunk 12′ OG, Gibbs-White 25′, Wood 32′, 64′, 69′ pen, Williams 89′, Jota Silva 90+1’)
CITY GROUND — If you play with fire, you’ll get burnt. If you give Morgan Gibbs-White that much space, you’ll get beaten. Or should that be utterly embarrassed.
Nottingham Forest’s No 10 was in imperious form against Brighton, conducting an emphatic and frankly ridiculous 7-0 victory – their biggest league win since 1991.
And while their attacking line purred – Chris Wood’s hat-trick taking him to 17 Premier League goals for the season – a word for their unsung hero in goal.
No player would have been hurting more after last week’s 5-0 defeat at Bournemouth than goalkeeper Matz Sels, who conceded five goals for the first time in a Forest shirt – he had not done so since 2019, when Strasbourg lost to Brest 5-0 in Ligue 1.
So what a response this was, as both Sels and Murillo became the first Premier League players this season to reach 10 clean sheets.
That Forest lead the Premier League in this department is an unbelievable upgrade on their efforts last season, when only West Ham and the relegated trio of Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United conceded more than them.
As it stands this term, only Liverpool, Arsenal and Bournemouth have conceded fewer goals, with Sels keeping that tally down to 27 on Saturday with two terrific saves in the first half.
His first to deny Yankuba Minteh – immediately after Gibbs-White doubled their lead – was a smart if fortuitous stop. The second was spectacular, at full stretch to tip Danny Welbeck’s strike onto the bar before it bounced on the goalline and away.
Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels saves from Brighton and Hove Albion’s Yankuba Minteh during the Premier League match at the City Ground, Nottingham.
After Wood’s hat-trick sealed this win, and moments before Neco Williams made it six and Jota Silva seven, Sels made another fine save to keep out Matt O’Riley’s free-kick.
It wasn’t the headline, but in a way Sels was as deserving of the spotlight. For all Forest’s attacking endeavour, here was the foundation of another win that took them a step closer to the Champions League – the golden carrot dangling ever so enticingly in front of them.
It’s within reach, too, and wholly achievable. At first glance, you may wonder what right this squad who were battling relegation last season have to be flying so close to the sun.
You therefore scrutinise the squad, scroll through the names on the back of the matchday programme, and wonder who among them actually have European and big-game experience to draw on.
And the answer is plenty. In the starting XI against Brighton, five players have already featured in the Champions League, including Morato, Neco Williams, Elliot Anderson and Anthony Elanga.
All four made a handful of appearances in the Champions League at previous clubs, but none hit double digits, unlike their fifth member of this band: Sels, who played 11 times in Europe’s premier competition across stints for Anderlecht and Gent.
That may not be many, but it is enough to bring a vital been-there-done-that knowledge to the dressing room and help Forest feel as though they aren’t punching above their weight, but that this is where they belong.
That is an attitude they will have to carry into whatever European competition they end up in, a feat which seems likely with Nuno Espirito Santo in charge.
Known for his pragmatism (are you watching, Spurs etc), Nuno changed to a back three in light of the defeat to Bournemouth, and whether that is a tactical switch which remains or not, it is almost beside the point.
He saw something that needed tweaking and reacted accordingly. When you have a manager like that, an attack like this, and a defence running a tight ship, it is quickly becoming no surprise to see Forest where they are.
