Chris Wood Shines with a Hat-Trick

Nottingham Forest recorded the biggest victory in its Premier League history with a stunning 7-0 triumph over Brighton & Hove Albion, led by an impressive hat-trick from Chris Wood.

Under the guidance of Nuno Espírito Santo, the team solidified its hold on third place, maintaining a six-point cushion over the fifth spot. This victory surpasses their previous best, a 7-1 win against Sheffield Wednesday in April 1995, though it still falls short of the historic 14-0 thrashing of Clapton FC in the first round of the FA Cup in 1891.

The 'Tricky Trees' found the net through an own goal from Lewis Dunk, as well as strikes from Morgan Gibbs-White, Neco Williams, and Jota Silva. However, the spotlight belonged to Chris Wood, who notched the third hat-trick of his Premier League career—two classic poacher’s goals inside the box and a composed finish from the penalty spot.

Chris Wood Enters Nottingham Forest History

The New Zealand striker became the first Forest player to score a hat-trick at City Ground since Nigel Clough in 1987. With this performance, he now has 17 league goals, matching Alexander Isak, sitting just one behind Erling Haaland and two away from Mohamed Salah in the goal-scoring charts.

With this emphatic win, Nottingham Forest is now level on points with Arsenal, albeit having played one more match, and extends its lead over the fifth-place team to six points. Meanwhile, Brighton's European hopes take a hit, as they remain ninth with 34 points, six away from the Conference League spots.