Chris Wood scored a hat-trick as Nottingham Forest delivered an emphatic response to last weekend’s 5-0 defeat at Bournemouth by hitting seven past Brighton at the City Ground.
The loss at Vitality Stadium was Forest’s first since early December but they roared back to winning ways in front of their own supporters, registering their biggest-ever Premier League victory against the sorry Seagulls.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side took a 12th-minute lead when Lewis Dunk inadvertently turned Morgan Gibbs-White’s low cross into his own net from close range.
Gibbs-White doubled the hosts’ advantage with a glancing header from Anthony Elanga’s corner, and it was 3-0 just after the half-hour mark when Wood nodded home Elanga’s cross for his 15th Premier League goal of the season – his most in a single campaign in the competition.
Brighton were unlucky not to score themselves before half-time, Yankuba Minteh shooting straight at Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels in a one-on-one and Danny Welbeck’s effort failing to cross the goalline after striking the underside of the crossbar.
Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler made a triple half-time change in an effort to stem the flow of Forest attacks, but Wood tapped home another Elanga delivery to make it 4-0 after 64 minutes.
And just moments later, Tariq Lamptey wrestled Gibbs-White to the ground at a Forest corner to give the New Zealand striker a golden opportunity to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot.
The 33-year-old sent Bart Verbruggen the wrong way to make it 5-0 and became the first Forest player to score a hat-trick at home since Nigel Clough in December 1987 against QPR.
Wales full-back Neco Williams then made it six after latching on to a loose ball deep inside the area.
There was still time for Jota Silva to get in on the act, firing home a low shot from Verbruggen’s misplaced pass in added time.
The win lifts Forest level on points with second-placed Arsenal – who play Manchester City on Sunday – while Brighton stay ninth.
Also, Everton scored twice in the opening six minutes, including the fourth fastest goal in Premier League history, to thrash woeful Leicester City at Goodison Park.
The match was billed as a crucial bottom-of-the-table meeting but the Toffees’ brilliant first half helped send them 10 points clear of the relegation zone as the Foxes remain in real trouble, one point above the bottom three.
Abdoulaye Doucoure latched on to Jordan Pickford’s punt upfield and slid home a low finish after just 10.18 seconds to give David Moyes’ side a dream start.
The goal was the fastest ever scored by an Everton player and only Shane Long, Philip Billing and Ledley King have netted quicker in the competition.
It got even better for the hosts minutes later, helped by static Leicester defending as Beto ran onto James Tarkowski’s ball through the middle of the park and converted past Mads Hermansen.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men were all over the place and were fortunate not to concede another on 20 minutes when Jake O’Brien poked home at the far post, but the towering defender was flagged offside.
The game was effectively over as a contest before half-time as James Garner’s pass sliced through the Leicester defence and Beto side-footed home a cool finish.
Everton controlled the game in the second half and barely allowed Leicester a sniff, as Iliman Ndiaye slotted home a late fourth for three consecutive victories.
Also, Newcastle missed the opportunity to go fourth in the Premier League after a superb second-half comeback from Fulham.
A point for the Magpies would have sent them above Manchester City, who visit Arsenal on Sunday, 2 February.
But substitute Rodrigo Muniz completed a fine Fulham turnaround in the 82nd minute after he got the deftest of touches on Andreas Pereira’s dangerous free-kick into the box.
