Chris Wood scored twice and Dan Ndoye netted on his Premier League debut as Nottingham Forest cruised past Brentford in both sides’ opening game of the 2025/26 season at the City Ground.
Striker Wood struck at the second attempt in the fifth minute following a corner to continue where the New Zealand international left off last season, having finished on 20 goals and three assists in 36 league games.
CHRIS WOOD!
Nottingham Forest are up and running 👏 pic.twitter.com/GJO2si5o1F
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 17, 2025
Winger Ndoye, who joined from Bologna for £36 million, athletically headed in Morgan Gibbs-White’s cross from the left in the 42nd minute before Wood charged on to Elliot Anderson’s low through ball, entered the box and slotted in during first-half added time.
What a ball, What a FINISH!
Morgan Gibbs-White picks out Dan Ndoye who heads it home for Nottingham Forest 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3P6O4R24NE
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 17, 2025
What a start to the season for Nottingham Forest!
Chris Wood adds his second goal of the match 😤 pic.twitter.com/zxlZA92cCZ
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 17, 2025
Igor Thiago scored his first Brentford goal with a penalty 12 minutes from time after Ibrahim Sangare was adjudged to have handled, but the contest marked a miserable start for Bees boss Keith Andrews in his first match as a manager, having last featured in the top flight as a West Bromwich Albion player 12 years ago.
Thiago gets his first goal for Brentford 🎯 pic.twitter.com/dJFetRkkx7
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 17, 2025
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Nottingham Forest vs Brentford: Wood back among goals
Wood had a quiet end to last season by the standards he had set, scoring two goals in his final 13 appearances and missing two games with a hip injury.
The 33-year-old was back to his bustling and clinical best here, helped by the usual productive work of Gibbs-White, showing why Forest were so keen to keep hold of the midfielder.
Forest finished seventh last season but spent much of the campaign threatening to secure Champions League qualification.
While Brentford are still a work in progress after losing manager Thomas Frank and the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Christian Norgaard over the summer, their opening opponents will be at the right end of the table again on this evidence.
Forest team vs Brentford
Ndoye started for Forest, as did captain Gibbs-White, who ended transfer speculation by signing a new three-year deal this summer.
Two Brazilians were on the bench in centre-back Jair Cunha and striker Igor Jesus, but new midfielders Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee were not involved, although they were introduced to the crowd before kick-off.
Forest starting XI: Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Ndoye, Sangare, Anderson, Hudson-Odoi; Gibbs-White, Wood
Forest substitutes: Gunn, Morato, Awoniyi, Igor Jesus, Jota Silva, Yates, Jair, Boly, Abbott
Brentford team vs Nottingham Forest
Forward Yoane Wissa, who is being heavily linked with a move to Newcastle this month, was not in Brentford’s matchday squad.
Goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and right-back Michael Kayode started alongside new midfielder Antoni Milambo, with England’s Jordan Henderson on the bench.
Brentford starting XI: Kelleher; Kayode, van den Berg, Collins, Henry; Lewis-Potter, Jensen, Yarmoluik, Carvalho; Milambo; Thiago
Brentford substitutes: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Henderson, Schade, Onyeka, Ajer, Peart-Harris, Roerslev, Arthur
Nottingham Forest, Brentford fixtures
Forest are away to Crystal Palace on August 24 at 14:00 BST (09:00 ET / 06:00 PT), a day after Brentford host Aston Villa (15:00 BST / 10:00 ET / 07:00 PT).
Palace drew their opening game 0-0 at Chelsea, while Villa also shared a goalless draw at home to Newcastle.
