Nottingham Forest overran Brentford to begin their Premier League campaign with a comfortable win as Keith Andrews’ reign as Bees boss got off to an inauspicious start.
The hosts broke the deadlock in the fifth minute, with Chris Wood – who scored 20 league goals last season – jabbing home after pressure at a corner.
Forest dominated the first half, and got their second goal three minutes before half-time when Swiss debutant Dan Ndoye headed home Morgan Gibbs-White’s superb chipped ball.
It was 3-0 in added time of the opening period when Elliot Anderson pounced on a loose Sepp van den Berg pass and threaded a delightful through-ball for Wood, who rounded Caoimhin Kelleher to slot home.
Brentford struggled, but claimed a 78th-minute consolation from the penalty spot after Ibrahim Sangare handled in the box. Brazilian striker Igor Thiago rolled home his first goal for the club since his arrival last summer from Club Brugge.
This victory was Forest’s first in an opening game of a season since the 2017-18 campaign as Andrews tasted defeat in his first game after replacing Thomas Frank in charge.