Nottingham Forest suffered their second consecutive Premier League home defeat on Thursday, falling 2-0 to Brentford. But beyond the result, Bees manager Thomas Frank exposed a deeper tactical flaw in Nuno Espirito Santo’s system.
While Brentford may have been fortunate to avoid a red card, they were deserved winners based on the chances created. Forest offered little going forward—Chris Wood failed to register a shot on target, and Taiwo Awoniyi’s underwhelming display off the bench drew criticism from fans, further damaging his case for a starting role.
However, the issue extended beyond individual performances. Forest struggled to respond after conceding, likely due to a tactical approach that played into Brentford’s hands.
Frank allowed Forest to dominate possession—an unusual scenario for a team that typically thrives on counterattacks. This strength was highlighted earlier in the season when Anthony Elanga scored a breakaway goal against Manchester United. But when denied that outlet, Espirito Santo’s side appeared short on ideas.
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Typically, Forest concede possession and capitalize on chances. Against Brentford, the script was flipped—Forest were forced to play a more controlled game, which allowed Brentford to press and dominate the physical battles, a role usually reserved for the Reds.
Though Frank praised Espirito Santo pre-match, he clearly identified and exploited a tactical vulnerability. Espirito Santo acknowledged this post-match, expressing concern:
> “I’m not happy. I’m concerned and upset because, credit to Brentford for the way they played, but they didn’t do too much to achieve two goals. Our fundamental is defending—being compact and denying opportunities. Today, it was the opposite.”
Defenders Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo were unusually exposed, suggesting this was more a tactical misstep than a defensive collapse. Forest will hope to bounce back against Crystal Palace, but Brentford may have provided a template that others will now look to follow.
Thomas Frank exposes major Nuno Espirito Santo weakness that Nottingham Forest must solve
