Taiwo Awoniyi Ends 385-Day Goal Drought in Nottingham Forest Win at Brentford

After more than a year of waiting, injury setbacks and silence in front of goal, Taiwo Awoniyi finally rediscovered the scoresheet in emphatic fashion on Saturday.

The Nigeria striker came off the bench to score late and seal a 2–0 Premier League victory for Nottingham Forest away at Brentford, ending a 385-day goal drought in competitive action.

Awoniyi’s last goal had come on 6 January 2025 against Wolves, before a series of injuries kept him sidelined for long spells and disrupted his momentum. His late strike at the Gtech Community Stadium was a powerful reminder of his resilience and proven quality at the top level.

Forest had taken the lead earlier in the first half through Igor Jesus, with fellow Nigerian Ola Aina playing a key role. The defender’s deflected cross caused problems in the Brentford box, allowing Jesus to finish and give the visitors control of the contest.

Introduced as the game wore on, Awoniyi provided the decisive moment, calmly finishing to put the result beyond doubt and spark celebrations among the travelling Forest supporters.

The goal marked Awoniyi’s first of the season and capped an encouraging weekend for Nigerian players in Europe, with both he and Aina making decisive contributions to Forest’s impressive away victory.