Our latest Scout Notes focuses on the match between Nottingham Forest and Brentford, as Chris Wood (£7.5m) got his season up and running in impressive style.
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WOOD HAULS
While the statistics may suggest a close match, Forest were by far the better team at the City Ground.
After a quiet pre-season, the Tricky Trees raced into a 3-0 half-time lead, courtesy of two goals from Wood and one from Dan Ndoye (£6.0m).
Wood, who converted just under 30% of his shots in 2024/25, demonstrated his clinical prowess once more.
His first goal, a looped effort from a corner, was followed by a calmly slotted finish.
The Kiwi striker has clearly picked up from where he left off last season, with some decent fixtures still to come, particularly in Gameweeks 3, 5 and 6:
Nuno mainly used his tried and trusted on Sunday, but there was a spot for Ndoye, the £36m winger from Bologna.
He was one of Forest’s top performers, rising brilliantly to power a header home.
“Dan played well today, he stuck to his defensive tasks which is always important, but he is so talented and honestly, I think he has much more to give.” – Nuno Espirito Santo on Dan Ndoye
GIBBS-WHITE + ANDERSON SUPERB
Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.5m) and Elliot Anderson (£5.5m) were at the heart of Forest’s victory.
Gibbs-White delivered a lovely ball into the box for Ndoye to head home, as he created three chances for his team-mates.
As for Anderson, his interception turned into a wonderful assist for Wood.
Pulling the strings from a deeper role, he also racked up three shots and 11 defensive contributions (DefCons), just one short of the midfield threshold.
“Elliot [Anderson] is like Morgan [Gibbs-White] in that they see things that aren’t always there. As soon as the ball dropped to him I wanted to get in behind, he split the defence unbelievably for me to put away my second.” – Chris Wood
Overall, it was a super start for Nuno Espirito Santo, who still has James McAtee (£5.5m) and Omari Hutchinson to add to his Forest squad.
THIAGO ON PENS
Brentford at least restored some pride in the second-half, but this was a poor performance for Keith Andrews in his first match in charge.
New signings Caoimhin Kelleher (£4.5m) and Antoni Milambo (£5.5m) started, while Jordan Henderson (£5.0m) was on the bench.
For significant parts, however, Brentford appeared disorganised and bereft of confidence, as they conceded four big chances, the most of any team in Gameweek 1 so far.
The only real positive they can take ahead of next week’s clash against Aston Villa is the goal.
Igor Thiago (£6.0m) only managed 20 touches, but he did wipe out the Forest clean sheet from the penalty spot, sending it straight down the middle for his first Premier League goal.
It will be interesting to see what he can offer in FPL this season after an interrupted start to his Bees career following a meniscus injury in 2024/25.
Yoane Wissa (£7.5m), meanwhile, wasn’t in Brentford’s matchday squad at all, having recently been linked with a move to Newcastle United.
“It means a lot to me – I want to score more goals for them. I want them to keep singing my name. I feel happy with my first goal, and I hope I score more for the club. It was a difficult game, a difficult first half, but we kept going. I think we did well in the second half and found the press.” – Igor Thiago
WHY DAMSGAARD MISSED OUT / SCHADE RETURNS
Mikkel Damsgaard (£6.0m) was not in the Brentford squad following the birth of his baby.
In his absence, Milambo was deployed in the No 10 role, but it was only after he was substituted for the returning Kevin Schade (£7.0m) – who was brilliant by the way – that Brentford began to exhibit a greater attacking threat.
“There’s an element of some players playing catch up with not having a fluid pre-season. Damsgaard came out of the team with his wife giving birth. That was a little knock. I won’t shy away from the fact it wasn’t good enough in the first half. It doesn’t define us and it won’t define us.
“Kevin [Schade] brought us the threat we didn’t have in the first half. There’s a journey for a few of the players coming back from injury. Kevin is one of those players but we’re building him and he’ll be a huge player for us.” – Keith Andrews
Elsewhere, Sepp van den Berg (£4.5m) produced 14 DefCons from a centre-back role, something we discussed in pre-season, while Ethan Pinnock (£4.5m) missed out with a knock.
