Brighton suffered their worst league defeat in 67 years as Nottingham Forest ran riot in a 7-0 thrashing on Saturday.
Chris Wood smashed home a historic hat-trick as the Reds’ mauled the Seagulls at the City Ground.
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Brighton, on the other hand, made the wrong kind of history – suffering their biggest league hammering since losing 9-0 to Middlesbrough on the opening day of the 1958/59 season in the second-tier.
As Forest boosted their Champions League hopes and moved level on points with Arsenal in second, Wood’s hat-trick was all the more memorable because he ended a 38-year wait at the City Ground.
By scoring three times past Brighton, Wood became the first Forest player to score a hat-trick at home since club legend Nigel Clough in December 1987 against Queens Park Rangers.
Wood popped up in the 32nd minute before scoring twice in the space of five minutes during the second half to take his season tally to 17 league goals.
The City Ground deservedly gave Wood a standing ovation when he was replaced by Taiwo Awoniyi in the 82nd minute.
Stuart Pearce, another Forest hero, waxed lyrical about the Kiwi’s display.
“This football club has had some legendary forwards,” Pearce told talkSPORT.
“But that performance this afternoon was wonderful.”
Wood was joined on the scoresheet by Morgan Gibbs-White, Neco Williams, Jota Silva as well as Brighton’s Lewis Dunk, who turned one into his own net in the 12th minute.
The Forest marksman wasn’t the only Forest star to enjoy a hat-trick against the hapless Seagulls.
Star winger Anthony Elanga had a game to remember as he registered three assists, two of which were for Wood’s goals.
Elanga’s feat meant he became only the second Forest player to provide three assists in a Premier League match, with Bryan Roy matching the accomplishment in April 1995.
It means Elanga sits behind only Mohamed Salah, Bukayo Saka and Ollie Watkins when it comes to the most assists in the English top flight since the start of last season.
The seven-goal demolition was the perfect way for Forest to bounce back given they were on the wrong end of a 5-0 scoreline in their last Premier League outing away to Bournemouth.
With such a destructive performance against Brighton, a top-half team, Pearce was compelled to make a bold declaration about where he believes his former employers will finish the season.
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“Not only am I convinced they will get into Europe, I think they’ll finish in the Champions League places,” Pearce said.
Forest have not played European football since the 1995/96 season when they made it to the quarter final of the UEFA Cup, now known as the Europa League.
They also have not featured in the Champions League, a trophy they have famously won twice, since the 1980/81 campaign.
But should Nuno Esperito Santo’s side continue to blow opponents away thanks to Wood’s exploits up top, Forest fans’ dreams could soon be reality.
