Brentford 2-0 Nottingham Forest: Bees End Winless Run with Convincing Victory

Brentford got back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the Gtech Community Stadium, bringing an end to their four match winless run in the Premier League.

An unfortunate Nikola Milenković own goal put Keith Andrews’ side ahead in the 30th minute, before Igor Thiago made sure of the three points with a second goal 14 minutes from time.

The win comes at a good time for Brentford as they look to push towards the top half of the table, while Nottingham Forest’s difficult start under Oliver Glasner continued with another defeat.

Ouattara makes the difference as Brentford take the lead

Brentford started brightly, looking to make use of the space out wide through Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade, with Igor Thiago leading the line.

Their 4-3-3 formation gave them room to stretch Forest’s defence, with Ouattara causing particular problems down the right.

The breakthrough came on the half hour mark when the winger showed real determination to reach the byline before sending a dangerous cross into the box.

Milenković tried to deal with the delivery, but his intervention sent the ball past goalkeeper Matz Sels and into his own net.

While the goal was officially recorded as an own goal, much of the credit belonged to Ouattara, whose persistence and direct running had created the opportunity.

Forest found it difficult to build any real momentum going forward, with Brentford remaining organised and restricting the visitors to few clear opportunities.

Thiago's counter-attack seals the victory

Forest needed a response after the break, but Brentford continued to look comfortable defensively while remaining dangerous whenever they had the chance to break forward.

Their second goal arrived in the 76th minute, as the Bees caught Forest on the counter and gave Thiago the opportunity to get on the scoresheet.

The Brazilian's effort took a deflection before looping over Sels and into the net, giving Brentford a two goal lead and leaving Forest with little time to find a way back.

It was another example of Brentford making the most of their opportunities in transition, catching the visitors before they could get back into their defensive positions.

With a comfortable advantage, Andrews' side handled the closing stages well, keeping Forest at bay to secure an important clean sheet.

Ouattara leads the way as Bees return to winning ways

Ouattara was one of Brentford's standout performers, with his willingness to take on defenders and drive forward giving the hosts a valuable attacking outlet.

His role in the opening goal was particularly important, as his determination to reach the byline created the situation that led to Milenković's unfortunate own goal.

The victory is a welcome response from Brentford after a difficult run of results, particularly following their midweek Carabao Cup defeat to Sunderland.

Their attention now turns to an away trip to Brighton on Sunday, 8 November, where Andrews will hope his side can carry this performance into their next league fixture.

For Forest, there is plenty to work on, particularly in the final third, after starting the weekend in 18th place.

Glasner's side face another tough challenge when they host Manchester City on Saturday, 7 November, with a chance to respond and start climbing away from the relegation zone.