Sport

Wood chips in with three as Forest reach seventh heaven against Brighton

Striker grabs hat-trick as Nuno Espírito Santo’s side bounce back from bad Bournemouth defeat

Chris Wood completes his hat-trick from the penalty spot to score Nottingham Forest's fifth goal during the Premier League game against Brighton at the City Ground. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Chris Wood completes his hat-trick from the penalty spot to score Nottingham Forest's fifth goal during the Premier League game against Brighton at the City Ground. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Sat Feb 01 2025 - 14:39
Premier League: Nottingham Forest 7 [Dunk 12og; Gibbs-White 25; Wood 32, 64, 69 pen; Williams 89; Jota Silva 90+1, Brighton 0

Nottingham Forest thumped Brighton 7-0 helped by a hat-trick from striker Chris Wood in their Premier League clash at the City Ground on Saturday in an emphatic bounce back from last week’s humbling 5-0 loss at Bournemouth.

Forest remain third on 47 points after 24 games to consolidate their hold on a top four spot that brings Champions League football next season, while Brighton are ninth on 34.

An own goal from Lewis Dunk in the 12th minute kicked off the scoring as Brighton’s skipper lunged to clear Morgan Gibbs-White’s low cross and poked the ball into the net.

Gibbs-White doubled Forest’s lead in the 25th minute with a glancing header from Anthony Elanga’s corner.

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Wood netted his first goal seven minutes later when, left completely unmarked, he headed Elanga’s cross past Bart Verbruggen. Forest continued to run riot after the break and Wood tapped home Elanga’s cross from close range in the 64th.

The New Zealander completed his hat trick five minutes later with a penalty, awarded after Tariq Lamptey bundled Gibbs-White to the ground. Neco Williams got the sixth in the 89th and Jota Silva put the icing on the cake with a low strike in added time.