Chris Wood scored a hat-trick as Nottingham Forest returned to winning ways with a magnificent 7-0 rout of Brighton at the City Ground on Saturday.

Nuno Espirito Santo's team showed no signs of being rocked by their 5-0 defeat at Bournemouth last week, going two better against Fabian Hurzeler's error-prone Seagulls.

A Lewis Dunk own goal set Forest on their way as he turned Morgan Gibbs-White's cross into his own net, then the former Wolves man nodded in Anthony Elanga's corner for 2-0.

Elanga had his second assist of the game when he crossed for Wood to head home late in the first half, and the duo combined again in the 64th minute, Elanga driving down the right then crossing to give Wood an easy finish.  

Wood completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot when Tariq Lamptey senselessly fouled Gibbs-White from a corner after the 69th minute, but Forest were not done there.

Neco Williams blasted in a sixth from close range following a goalmouth scramble, then Jota Silva completed the scoring after intercepting a dismal pass from Bart Verbruggen.

Forest's biggest-ever Premier League victory takes them level on 47 points with second-placed Arsenal, who face Manchester City on Sunday. Brighton stay ninth, six points adrift of the top six.

Data Debrief: Forest match rare five-goal feat

Forest's victory was their biggest in any league match since 1991, when they beat Chelsea by the same scoreline at the City Ground in the old First Division.

Meanwhile, this was Brighton's heaviest league defeat since they went down 9-0 to Middlesbrough on the opening day of 1958-59, in the second tier.

Forest became just the second team in Premier League history to lose a game by five or more goals, then win their next match in the competition by the same margin. 

Sheffield Wednesday did so in November 1997, losing 6-1 to Manchester United, then beating Bolton Wanderers 5-0.

Wood was the star as he became the first Forest player to score a top-flight hat-trick at the City Ground since Nigel Clough – son of legendary manager Brian Clough – against Queens Park Rangers in December 1987.

He now has 17 Premier League goals this season, with only Stan Collymore in 1994-95 (22) ever netting more for Forest in a single campaign in the competition.