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Brighton extended Nottingham Forest’s problems near the relegation places with a 2-1 Premier League win at the Amex Stadium, as early goals from Diego Gomez and Danny Welbeck outweighed Morgan Gibbs-White’s superb strike and kept Forest only two points clear of the drop zone.

Forest created enough openings after half-time to claim something, with Gibbs-White and substitute Taiwo Awoniyi both wasting clear headed chances, but Brighton stayed compact, protected the penalty area well, and saw out the contest to secure three valuable points in front of home supporters.

The match exploded into life during a frantic opening quarter-hour, starting when Gomez produced a controlled half-volley from a tight angle on the right side of the box in the sixth minute, before Gibbs-White responded almost instantly with a bending 25-yard effort past Bart Verbruggen.

Brighton regained control when Kaoru Mitoma delivered a dangerous cross from the left, Josh Hinshelwood nodded the ball into space, and Welbeck reacted quickest, driving a powerful close-range finish in the 15th minute that restored the advantage and underlined Brighton’s sharp attacking movement.

Mitoma and Welbeck continued to combine effectively after the interval, with one intricate move forcing Matz Sels into an important save from Mitoma, while the Forest goalkeeper also reacted sharply to tip away a diving header from Hinshelwood as Brighton pushed for a third goal.

Forest had spells of pressure, particularly from wide areas, yet failed to convert promising crosses, as Gibbs-White headed off target from a good position and Awoniyi could not direct another key header on target, leaving the visitors frustrated and still searching for a first Premier League away win at Brighton.

Brighton’s front line displayed strong chemistry throughout the first half, with Gomez, Mitoma, and Welbeck frequently interchanging positions and dragging defenders out of shape, which repeatedly opened passing lanes, stretched Forest’s backline, and created the platform for the decisive early goals that decided the contest.

Gomez reached a personal milestone by becoming the third Paraguayan footballer to score at least five goals in a single Premier League season, following Roque Santa Cruz’s 19 goals for Blackburn Rovers in 2007-08 and Miguel Almiron’s 11 goals for Newcastle United during the 2022-23 campaign.

Welbeck, now 35, continued an impressive late-career scoring run and has joined a select group as only the eighth player to hit 10 or more goals in back-to-back Premier League seasons while aged 33 or older, a feat most recently achieved by Jamie Vardy with 15 goals in both 2020-21 and 2021-22.

Forest’s defeat means 15 losses from 28 league fixtures this season, a figure the club has only twice exceeded at this stage of a campaign since 2000, suffering 18 defeats in the 2011-12 Championship season and 16 in the 2023-24 Premier League schedule.

The result also continued Forest’s poor Premier League record away to Brighton, with two draws and two defeats from four visits, and they have only travelled more often without victory against Arsenal, nine matches, and Manchester City, six matches, highlighting ongoing away struggles against established top-flight opponents.

THREE MORE POINTS FOR THE ALBION!

Brighton vs Nottingham Forest statistics and season context

Key individual and team numbers from Brighton vs Nottingham Forest underline both sides’ contrasting trends, with Brighton’s attacking trio achieving important seasonal landmarks while Forest’s defeat deepened concerns about form, especially away from home in Premier League fixtures.

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Brighton leave the match encouraged by the understanding between Gomez, Mitoma, and Welbeck, which produced two early goals and several further chances, while Forest depart the Amex Stadium still winless in four Premier League visits and facing increasing pressure from clubs below in the relegation battle.

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