Nottingham Forest player ratings as 9/10 star stuns Brentford, Taiwo Awoniyi scores

Nottingham Forest player ratings as 9/10 star stuns Brentford, Taiwo Awoniyi scores

Nottingham Forest increased the pressure on West Ham by moving five points clear of the relegation zone with an impressive 2-0 victory at Brentford.

Forest came out of the blocks strongly and opened the scoring through Igor Jesus, who expertly controlled the ball before volleying past Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

The goal set the tone for a performance the Reds desperately needed, and Sean Dyche will have been thrilled with how his team executed their game plan from the first whistle.

Following the win, here’s a look at the Nottingham Forest player ratings from the match:

Matz Sels – 7
Had a few moments where he was slow off his line, but made an excellent first-half save from Dango Ouattara.

Ola Aina – 7
Held his own at right-back against Brentford’s speedy and dynamic attackers.

Nikola Milenkovic – 9
A defensive rock for Forest, standing firm against one of the Premier League’s top talents, Igor Thiago.

Murillo – 6
Solid defensively but lost points for some wayward passing that caused the Reds occasional problems.

Neco Williams – 8
Delivered another consistently outstanding performance, continuing his week-by-week improvement.

Elliot Anderson – 7
Produced the type of midfield display Forest fans have come to admire over the past 18 months.

Ibrahim Sangare – 6
Not his strongest showing, but his presence allowed Anderson more freedom to drive forward with the ball.

Callum Hudson-Odoi – 6
Not at his best going forward, but commendable in the defensive work he contributed throughout the match.

Morgan Gibbs-White – 6
Struggled to make his usual impact, but worked tirelessly regardless of the frustrations.

Nicolas Dominguez – 6
Busy and energetic in midfield, though lacking influence when in possession.

Igor Jesus – 7
Opened the scoring with a superb goal and made the most of the limited service he received.

Substitutes:

Omari Hutchinson – 6
Quiet after coming on, unable to make a significant impact on the game.

Taiwo Awoniyi – 7
Turned the match further in Forest’s favour during the second half, finishing his goal clinically as Brentford began to gain momentum.