SPORTS MOLE
Injury-hit Brighton & Hove Albion have moved into the top seven of the Premier League after coming from behind to beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 in a breathless encounter at the City Ground.
Joao Pedro‘s double, one of which came from the penalty spot, helped Roberto De Zerbi‘s men turn the game around, after Anthony Elanga gave the hosts a third-minute lead.
Evan Ferguson levelled proceedings midway through the first half with a fine finish past Odysseas Vlachodimos, before Pedro put the Seagulls ahead shortly before the interval.
Pedro was heavily involved again to extend Brighton’s lead, winning a penalty after some rash defending by Chris Wood, before slotting home to put the visitors in a very comfortable position.
However, the game took another dramatic twist soon after, as Forest won a penalty for Jack Hinshelwood‘s tug on Callum Hudson-Odoi, which led to Lewis Dunk being sent off by referee Anthony Taylor for dissent.
Morgan Gibbs-White stepped up and converted from the spot to reduce the deficit back to one, but the hosts were unable to find a dramatic equalising goal late on.
De Zerbi’s side move above Manchester United, who do not play until Sunday, into seventh after ending a six-game winless run in the Premier League.
There were some negatives for the away side though, as they were handed two more injury concerns over Ansu Fati and Tariq Lamptey, who both went off in the first half, as well as in impending suspension for Dunk.
Forest moved up to 14th after Everton’s 10-point deduction, and remain there for now, but they could be leapfrogged by Fulham this weekend when they face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday.
De Zerbi reacted strongly to their disappointing home draw with Sheffield United, making five changes, but they were on the backfoot instantly at the City Ground, as Steve Cooper‘s side took an early lead, even without their main source of goals Taiwo Awoniyi, who was ruled out for up to four months earlier this week.
Gibbs-White’s right-wing cross deep into the area found an on-rushing Elanga, who headed home beyond Bart Verbruggen into the bottom-right corner on just three minutes.
Forest cowered into their shell slightly after taking the lead though, with Brighton’s onslaught eventually providing an equalising goal.
Shortly before the half-hour mark, Ferguson was found on the edge of the box and showed fine feet to set himself for the shot, before picking out the far corner with superb precision, giving Vlachodimos no chance.
After having just one shot in the opening half-hour, the hosts opened up rather more after being pegged back, with Wood having the best opening, but he could not generate any power on his header.
Pedro, who only was introduced midway through the first half for the stricken Fati, then gave the Seagulls the lead, beating Ola Aina in an aerial battle from Pascal Gross‘s cross and beating Vlachodimos.
Forest remained in the game though, as Aina flashed a powerful drive just wide of the post, before Danilo wasted a huge opportunity from a corner, getting his contact all wrong inside the six-yard box.
Just minutes after Danilo squandered that chance, Forest were punished, and in particular Wood, as the striker, who was back defending a set piece, pulled Pedro down in the back when chasing Dunk’s header into the box.
