Brentford score late to see off Nottingham Forest

• Brentford win in a dramatic comeback to defeat Nottingham Forest 2-1 in the Premier League
• Danilo’s goal gave Nottingham Forest the lead late in the first half.
• However, Ivan Toney’s late free-kick tied the score, and Josh Dasilva’s stoppage-time winner broke Forest’s hearts.

Brentford’s dramatic comeback allowed the West Londoners to defeat Nottingham Forest 2-1 in the Premier League, leaving the Reds in serious peril.

Danilo’s goal gave Nottingham Forest the lead late in the first half. However, Ivan Toney’s late free-kick tied the score, and Josh Dasilva’s stoppage-time winner broke Forest’s hearts.

Da Silva celebrates after scoring the winner. |PHOTO: Reuters|

How the game unfolded

The first 40 minutes of the game went by lacking much excitement, although both goalkeepers’ handling skills were put to the test by errant crosses and long-range shots.

Taiwo Awoniyi, Forest’s lone forward, struggled to keep his header down and missed the goal in the final five minutes of the first half when David Raya came out and utterly missed Brennan Johnson’s cross.

The fright appeared to stir up Brentford, and they had a great opportunity at the opposite end when Ethan Pinnock blasted goalwards after a set piece scramble, but Keylor Navas got down extremely well to save the ball, and Mikkel Damsgaard also missed on the follow-up.

However, with the final opportunity of the first period, Nottingham took the lead.

When Brentford mishandled a throw-in, Morgan Gibbs-White’s shot deflected off Ben Mee and straight into the path of Danilo, who had only Raya to beat and scored Forest’s opening goal.

Brentford’s second-half comeback

Ivan Toney celebrates after scoring. |PHOTO: Nottingham Post|

Cooper’s game plan was clear when the teams regrouped for the second half around the Forest penalty box, which Brentford found difficult to get through.

Both teams failed to have a shot on goal until almost 30 minutes into the second half, and Moussa Niakhate’s daring overhead kick while lying on the ground troubled Raya in the Brentford goal.

With 10 minutes left, Mee acrobatically blasted over after another overhead kick at the opposite end giving Brentford their first opportunity of the second 45.

With a little bit of luck, Brentford levelled the score despite doing virtually nothing for the majority of the day.

Toney, who barely touched the ball all afternoon, blasted a free kick through a porous Nottingham Forest wall, but Navas fumbled it onto the post, where it bounced off of him and into the goal.

Forest was reduced to 10 players after using all of their permitted substitutions and an injured Danilon was forced to leave the field.

The final nail in the coffin for the Trees was Dasilva‘s strike through a maze of players that beat Navas at his near post four minutes into the extra period of the second half.

Wissa was deemed to be onside and the goal was awarded to the delight of the home fans despite a lengthy VAR review.

What next?

Next Saturday, Brentford will play Liverpool at Anfield, and on Monday, Nottingham Forest will host relegation rivals Southampton.