Nottingham Forest 7-0 Brighton: Chris Wood bags a hat-trick in Seagulls demolition – as hosts record their biggest-ever Premier League win

From losing 5-0 one week to winning 7-0 the next, here was a case study in how to respond from Nottingham Forest, as if angered by the very suggestion last week’s beating at Bournemouth was a sign their charge towards Champions League qualification might be a mirage.

It is not. They are here, the real deal under Nuno Espirito Santo, determined to upset the usual order, the Premier League’s answer to the Hulk in that you will not like them when they are angry.

Brighton learned that here as they themselves looked green in the extreme, starting at the top with Fabian Hurzeler, who could only apologise to the travelling supporters after such a surrender.

While Forest’s fans were chanting ‘we want 10’ towards the end, their biggest headache was deciding which one of their outstanding cast would be the worthiest man-of-the-match winner.

There was Chris Wood, Forest’s first player since Nigel Clough in 1987 to score a top-flight hat-trick at the City Ground. Anthony Elanga, with a hat-trick of assists.

Morgan Gibbs-White, making Brighton look like a bunch of blokes with lead in their socks as he breezed by them from start to finish on his 100th Forest appearance.

Chris Wood became the first Forest player to score a top flight hat-trick at home since 1987

Anthony Elanga contributed with three assists as the hosts tore a native Brighton side apart

Murillo, pure muscle in the three-man defence used here. Matz Sels, resolute in securing his 10th clean sheet of the season, more than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League.

Forest are now seven points ahead of Chelsea, from whom they signed Callum Hudson-Odoi for £3million, and they won by seven goals here without their injured winger even playing.

One of Forest’s specialities this season has been the way they bounce back from losing. Beaten 3-0 by Arsenal, they responded by dismissing Ipswich. Beaten 3-0 by Manchester City, they then defeated Manchester United. Now this, proof that last week’s 5-0 loss was merely a blip.

‘We were looking for a response,’ Espirito Santo said afterwards. ‘This was beyond our expectations. The whole team was ruthless in their desire to show their talent.’

Forest have their own style. They are direct, in your face, tough, and it was in the 12th minute when they took the lead with help from Brighton’s Lewis Dunk, the 6ft 4in defender extending one of his long legs as he diverted Gibbs-White’s cross into his own goal.

Elanga’s 25th-minute corner and Gibbs-White’s near-post header made it 2-0. It looked simple, but it was planned to perfection, as next to Gibbs-White was Morato, acting as his team-mate’s bodyguard so that no Brighton players could even challenge him. It was little wonder Espirito Santo and his staff celebrated the set-piece success with a group hug.

Brighton could have got a goal back in the 27th minute but Danny Welbeck could not beat Sels when one on one. Instead, Forest made it 3-0 after 31 minutes as another cross came in from Elanga and Wood leaped high to head it in.

Welbeck thought he had gotten Brighton back into the game before half-time when he blasted the ball from outside of the box. It crashed into the underside of the crossbar and bounced down on the line as the referee’s watch refused to buzz. Replays showed it was a fine fingertip save by Sels which ensured Forest’s handsome lead remained safe.

Morgan Gibbs-White was among Forest’s stars and scored in his 100th match for the club

Brighton suffered their heaviest defeat in the Premier League, their worst loss since 1966

Hurzeler made three changes for the second half as off came Joao Pedro, Kaoru Mitoma and Jack Hinshelwood, and on came Simon Adingra, Diego Gomez and Matt O’Riley. Evan Ferguson, linked with Chelsea, West Ham and umpteen other clubs, would only receive a late cameo.

Just as it looked like Brighton might begin to have some joy, Forest attacked as Elanga secured his third assist of the afternoon by setting up a Wood tap-in for 4-0.

It got worse in the 68th minute for Brighton when Forest were awarded a penalty, Simon Hooper spotting how Gibbs-White was wrestled to the ground by Tariq Lamptey at a corner. Wood stepped up, sending Verbruggen the wrong way for his hat-trick and 5-0.

In the 89th minute, Neco Williams pouncing on a loose ball as Brighton were hit for six. With that, the scoreline was completed, or so we thought. In the 91st, a pass from Verbruggen went straight to Jota Silva, who accepted the gift to make this a seventh heaven kind of luncheon for Forest.

There was no hiding from Brighton boss Hurzeler, who said in summary: ‘We all have to be honest, look in the mirror and say, “That is not how we want to play football.” We have to apologise to everyone who supports Brighton. They spent a lot of time and money supporting us. We can only apologise.’

This was indeed a sorry afternoon for Brighton, but a statement one from Forest.