Gary Cahill praises Nottingham Forest star after win over Brentford, it’s not Taiwo Awoniyi

Taiwo Awoniyi stole the headlines as Nottingham Forest sealed an impressive 2-0 victory over Brentford, capping the performance with his first goal in 12 months.

Forest set the tone early against an in-form Bees side, with Igor Jesus breaking the deadlock after just 12 minutes thanks to a composed finish. While that strike put the Reds in control, it was Awoniyi who became the focal point late on, making a real impact off the bench before finding the net in the 88th minute. Despite only 12 touches, the striker’s cameo proved decisive.

Former England defender Gary Cahill also highlighted another standout performer, taking time to analyse Forest’s opening goal during Sky Sports’ live coverage.

The move began with a superb delivery from Ola Aina, whose cross was met perfectly by Jesus to open the scoring. Aina’s contribution did not go unnoticed by Cahill, who was full of praise for the right-back’s role in the goal.

“Good work by Ola Aina,” Cahill said. “He gets the ball in well. I thought the chance had gone, but it’s a quality delivery and a great finish.”

Aina’s return has been a major boost for Forest after his absence during the first half of the season. While Nicolo Savona filled in admirably, there is a clear drop-off in quality, particularly defensively, when Aina is not in the side.

Beyond his ability on the pitch, Aina brings energy and personality to the squad, and Forest look noticeably stronger when he features regularly. The Nigerian international was outstanding against Brentford, driving forward with confidence and creating opportunities throughout.

With Aina back and firing, Forest have every reason to believe they can build momentum. His performance deserved recognition, and Cahill’s praise merely underlined the impact of a fine all-round display from the Reds.