Finally. Fortress Gtech was breached, its keep torn asunder by the pragmatism of Nuno Espírito Santo. The Premier League season’s surprise package took down the best home record as Nottingham Forest solidified the top-four place for Christmas they had kicked off in after Manchester City’s latest disaster.

The highest-ranked yet visitors to the stadium where goals and victories had previously rained down for Thomas Frank’s team kept Brentford at bay with a mix of discipline and cutting edge, their goals from Ola Aina and Anthony Elanga both pincer movements seizing on defensive disorganisation.