Brentford 2-0 Nottingham Forest: Milenkovic own goal and Thiago strike mark 100th home PL game in style
Brentford made their 100th Premier League appearance at the Gtech Community Stadium a memorable one, seeing off Nottingham Forest 2-0 thanks to a first-half own goal and a smart second-half finish from Igor Thiago, as BrentfordFC.com reported the milestone win (BrentfordFC.com).
The breakthrough came in the 30th minute when Nikola Milenkovic turned the ball into his own net under pressure, giving the home side a lead they would not relinquish. Brentford doubled their advantage in the 76th minute when Igor Thiago finished from the centre of the box after a fast break, with Jaidon Anthony - only recently introduced from the bench - providing the assist.
Milenkovic's afternoon went from bad to worse as he was booked for a foul just six minutes after his own goal. Forest picked up further yellow cards through Daniel Muñoz, who came on for Ola Aina at the break, and James McAtee late on, while Brentford's Michael Kayode was also cautioned in the second half. There were no red cards in a match that, despite the scoreline, had its share of niggle.
Both managers made changes as the game wore on. Forest brought on Muñoz and Ryan Yates at half-time, then introduced Chris Wood and Arnaud Kalimuendo around the hour mark in search of a way back into the match. Brentford freshened things up too, with Mikkel Damsgaard, Aaron Hickey, Jaidon Anthony and later Callum Wilson all introduced from the bench.
The statistics made for interesting reading given the result. Forest dominated possession with 58.3% of the ball and had 15 attempts on goal to Brentford's seven, as the Guardian noted in highlighting Forest's struggles in front of goal despite their territorial dominance (The Guardian). Yet for all that pressure, Forest managed just one shot on target - the same number as Brentford - underlining the gulf in cutting-edge finishing. Brentford also had the edge at the back, registering more effective tackles and clearances over the course of the game.
Sky Sports framed the result as another worrying sign for Forest's attacking output under Oliver Glasner, despite Brentford's win owing plenty to good fortune as well as game management (Sky Sports). The Guardian echoed that sentiment, suggesting it would be harsh to call it a fluke for Brentford given the overall balance of play, but Forest's inability to turn their chances into goals was again the story (The Guardian).
The result lifts Brentford into 6th in the Premier League table, continuing a solid run of form that reads WDLDW in their last five league outings, with this victory the most recent result. Forest, by contrast, remain deep in trouble down in 19th place, their form reading LLLDL across their last five Premier League matches, with this defeat extending a difficult run that has brought just one win from their last five in the competition.
For Brentford supporters, this was a landmark 100th Premier League game at the Gtech Community Stadium marked with precisely the sort of gritty, backs-to-the-wall win that will please manager and fans alike. For those travelling down from the City Ground, it was another afternoon of frustration, created plenty but with precious little end product to show for it.
Written with the help of AI, using the match facts and the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
