With all of the news that comes with transfer deadline day, it feels like Nottingham Forest’s 7-0 win over Brighton was a lifetime ago.
The headline stories for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side on deadline day were the two new additions, as Tyler Bindon was accompanied by Forest’s signing of Joel Ndala from Manchester City.
James Ward-Prowse was recalled by West Ham in a move that was perhaps unsurprising given Danilo and Ibrahim Sangare’s return to fitness, meaning that Forest exited the transfer window largely unchanged in terms of the senior squad.
Forest have been exceptional this season, though, with the 7-0 win over Brighton a standout result that should not be forgotten as a result of transfer business.
Saturday 1st February
Chris Wood received praise from Jude Bellingham for his hattrick in the game but a goal was likely more valuable to Neco Williams, who notched a rare goal in the second half of the contest.
Whilst the squad will have been happy for Williams, footage from the Forest dugout showed that Morgan Gibbs-White was playfully frustrated with the Welshman after his goal.
Morgan Gibbs-White’s hilariously angry reaction to Neco Williams’ goal
Having scored already, Gibbs-White was afforded a rest by the Forest manager with 20 minutes to play and the result looking largely settled in Forest’s favour with the score 5-0.
Surprisingly, though, two more goals would come before the full-time whistle, including Williams’ top-corner strike from close range.
On Forest’s own YouTube channel, a ‘Dugout Reacts’ video has been posted that showed Gibbs-White, alongside Elliot Anderson, sprinting out from the bench and onto the pitch to celebrate with Williams as if he’d just scored a last-minute winner.
However, something clearly frustrates Gibbs-White as he is then seen screaming “Neco!” with his arms raised above his head, expecting something from his left back that never materialises before the midfield talisman slumps back into his chair.
Giggling throughout, Gibbs-White’s frustrations were clearly in jest at Williams, who has starred at left-back for Forest this season. It seems to be clear what Gibbs-White is referencing when looking back at another piece of Forest media content.
Neco Williams had promised a ‘special’ goal celebration
Given that it was only Williams’ second-ever goal for Forest, it’s fair to say he’s had a lot of time to think of a goal celebration in the event of needing one.
This assumption is true when looking back at a Q&A Williams had done with the Forest media team, in which he outlined plans for a ‘special’ celebration.
At the time, Williams said on his next celebration: “It’ll probably be a knee slide, but I also have promised the lads a special one, but I can’t say it yet.”
True to his word, Williams did indeed celebrate with a knee slide, robbing Gibbs-White and the City Ground fans of a unique celebration to help remember the goal.
Before the Brighton goal, Williams hadn’t scored for Forest since April 2023, when they lost to Liverpool 3-2 under Steve Cooper, highlighting that a bit of attacking work may need to be done on the training ground to give the best chance of seeing this special celebration any time soon.
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