Seven up at the City Ground: Forest 7-0 Brighton photos
It is not everyday we bring you pictures of history being made. But that is exactly what we have with these photos from Nottingham Forest 7-0 Brighton.
They show the Albion suffering the second-heaviest league defeat in their 124-year existence. Only a 9-0 reversal away at Middlesbrough in August 1958 remains bigger.
Making Forest 7-0 Brighton the heaviest Albion loss in 67 years and their biggest ever in the top flight. A successful afternoon all round.
The writing was on the wall the moment the Seagulls starting XI was announced. Fabian Hurzeler responded to Brighton managing just one shot on target in 105 minutes of their 1-0 home defeat against Everton the previous Saturday by sticking five forwards into the team at the City Ground.
With Danny Welbeck, Joao Pedro, Georginio Rutter, Kaoru Mitoma and Yankubu Minteh all included, it left Jack Hinshelwood as the only central midfielder.
One Albion midfielder against a Forest side who pack the middle of the park with three players in a 3-5-2. Interesting….
Forest took the lead after only 12 minutes. Given the comedy which was to come from Brighton, Lewis Dunk rather aptly supplied the Tricky Trees with their lead via a fine own goal.
Morgan Gibbs-White was left unmarked to head home a corner for goal number two on 25 minutes. Seven later and Chris Wood had an equally free header to score his usual goal past the Albion and put Forest 3-0 ahead going into half time.
The game was done at that point. Hurzeler belatedly introduced some midfielders, with Diego Gomez and Matt O’Riley coming on.
Yet even with those reinforcements, the Albion managed to leak four more in the second half. Wood completed a hat-trick with 64th and 69th minute efforts.
The final two Forest goals arrived at the death. Neco Williams made it six from close range and Bart Verbruggen passed straight to Jota Silva, who subsequently fired back past the Albion goalkeeper to round off a pretty incredible day for Brighton.
If you have any photos you would like included in our Nottingham Forest 7-0 Brighton gallery please e-mail them to wearebrighton@hotmail.co.uk or tweet them to us @wearebrighton
