🌳Forest Frustration at the GTech
Redemption was on the menu at the GTech Community Stadium this afternoon, but unfortunately, the Bees were left with a bitter taste in their mouths. Despite dominating possession and entering the match with a formidable home record, Brentford fell 2-0 to a resilient Nottingham Forest side. On a day that should have celebrated Rico Henry’s 100th Premier League appearance, injuries to Kristoffer Ajer and Mikkel Damsgaard forced an early tactical reshuffle that the Bees never quite recovered from. While the effort was there, the clinical edge was missing, leaving Keith Andrews with plenty of questions as the team slides to 8th in the table.
Brentford’s forwards were bullied all afternoon by the Nottingham Forest back line. (Yahoo Sports)
The Takeaways from the match:
Possession Without Purpose: Brentford attempted 558 passes—their highest single-match total of the season—yet failed to find the back of the net for the second consecutive game.
The Injury Bug Bites: Losing both Ajer and Damsgaard in the 37th minute was a massive blow to the team’s rhythm and defensive stability.
Home Fortress Breached: After seven matches without a loss at the GTech, Forest managed to do what only the league's top three had done effectively: stifle our attack and leave with all three points.
Centurion Rico: A massive congratulations to Rico Henry on his 100th Premier League appearance; a silver lining on a dismal afternoon.
🔪 A Sharp Start and a Sudden Setback
The match began with high energy and a flash of brilliance from Kevin Schade. In the 2nd minute, Schade used a sublime first touch to skip past Ola Aina on the left wing, driving forward to fire a low, darting ball across the face of goal. Unfortunately, Igor Thiago couldn't quite get the connection needed to turn it home.
Forest provided a warning shot in the 7th minute when Morgan Gibbs-White danced through three Brentford defenders, but the active Kristoffer Ajer was alert to block the ensuing shot. However, the deadlock broke in the 12th minute. Following a "calamitous" sequence where Damsgaard nearly scored at the other end, Forest broke away. Ola Aina’s deflected cross looped into the box, where Igor Jesus displayed incredible control, taking the ball off his shoulder before firing low. Kelleher got a hand to it, but it wasn't enough to keep it out. 1-0 to the visitors.
🚑 The Injury Crisis
By the 20-minute mark, Forest had retreated into a disciplined low block. We struggled to find a way through until the 32nd minute, when a sustained spell of pressure finally pinned Forest in their own half. Just as the momentum seemed to be shifting, disaster struck. In the 37th minute, both Kristoffer Ajer and Mikkel Damsgaard were forced off due to injuries sustained in the same sequence of play.
Dango Ouattara and Sepp van den Berg were thrust into the action. Ouattara almost made an immediate impact in the 40th minute, breaking free on a Mathias Jensen through-ball, but Matz Sels came out aggressively to smother the shot. We went into the break trailing, despite Sepp van den Berg nearly heading home a Kayode long throw-in in stoppage time.
🥊 Frustration and the Sucker Punch
The second half was a story of Brentford possession meeting a brick wall. We moved the ball well—Janelt’s long balls caused issues, and Rico Henry tried to spark the attack—but Forest’s powerful center-backs, particularly Murillo, refused to budge.
In the 80th minute, the game was settled in cruel fashion. Having not had a single touch in our penalty area for the entire second half, Forest used a simple ball over the top to find Taiwo Awoniyi. He outpaced Van den Berg and slotted the ball "between the wickets" of Kelleher. It was Awoniyi’s first goal in over a year—and naturally, it came against the Bees. Despite late chances for Ouattara and the introduction of Jordan Henderson, the match ended in a 2-0 defeat, dropping us to 8th in the table.
Final Result: Brentford 0 - 2 Nottingham Forest
Adam Hagen & Jerry Reyes attending their first Brentford game!
A massive shout-out to Adam Hagen (American Bee subscriber) and Jerry Reyes for making the trip to the GTech Community Stadium today! While it wasn’t the result we wanted—and a rare day where the Bees couldn't find the scoresheet—we hope the atmosphere made the debut visit memorable. Here’s to better luck and three points on your next visit! Make sure to neck a few pints at the Griffin for us! 🍻
🗓️ Looking Ahead: A Trip to Villa Park
The Bees won't have long to dwell on this result as we prepare for a quick turnaround. Next up is a massive away fixture against Aston Villa on Sunday, February 1st.
Villa Park is never an easy place to travel, and with Brentford currently sitting in 8th, this is a "six-pointer" for our European ambitions. The biggest question mark heading into next week will be the fitness of Ajer and Damsgaard. If they are out for an extended period, Keith Andrews will need to decide whether Dango Ouattara should start or if a tactical shift is required to get our strikers more involved. We’ve hit a bit of a scoring drought, and there's no better place to break it than under the lights in Birmingham.
