Goals in either half from Igor Jesus and substitute Taiwo Awoniyi earned Nottingham Forest a potentially vital 2-0 victory at Brentford, restoring their five-point gap above resurgent West Ham and the Premier League relegation zone. On a ground where visiting wins have been rare, Sean Dyche joined Pep Guardiola as only the second opposing manager to triumph at the Gtech Community Stadium this season, with a performance built on discipline and two moments of quality at either end of the game.
For Brentford, a day that began with hopes of cementing their European push ended in frustration. They recovered from a shaky opening half-hour to create the better chances either side of half-time, but Dango Ouattara was denied when he should have levelled and Sepp van den Berg headed wide just before the break. After the interval the hosts' mounting pressure and 35 crosses into the box could not break Forest's resolve, and they were finally punished on the counter as Awoniyi sealed the points 10 minutes from time with Forest's only touch in the Brentford area in the second half.
Brazilian duel tilts Forest's way as Jesus strikes early
In the billed battle of two Brazilian Igors in attack, it was the less-fancied Jesus who seized the moment. After only 12 minutes, he produced the kind of composure Forest had been crying out for, cushioning a ball into his path with his chest before dispatching a superb finish for his first league goal since December 3. That opener provided an immediate platform for Dyche's side, who settled the quicker and took control of the first half-hour.