The visitors started stronger, with Forest possibly feeling the impact of their recent European match on Thursday.
Yasin Ayari’s early shot from just outside the box sailed over the crossbar, followed by a good build-up that found an unmarked Mats Wieffer inside the area, but the Dutch player pushed his shot wide of the left post when he really should have at least challengedMatz Sels from close range.
After enduring the Seagulls’ early pressure, the home side created their best first-half chance around the 30-minute mark when Nicolás Domínguez’s cross from the left found Morgan Gibbs-White unmarked, but he sliced his first-time shot just wide of the right post.
He was punished for this miss when, in the first of two added minutes in the first half, a through ball from Georginio Rutter found Maxim De Cuyper. Unmarked, he controlled the ball and fired it past Sels from close range, giving Brighton a half-time lead with their first away goal of the Premier League season.
The Seagulls endured a Premier League record 7-0 loss at the City Ground last season, but this time they competed much better, and five minutes after the restart Fabian Hürzeler’s side created a good chance to extend their lead.
The ball was played to Ayari just outside the box, but his weak shot drifted harmlessly wide of the left post.
Having missed the midweek 3-0 UEFA Europa League win over Malmö, Gibbs-White was eager to contribute, yet his first-time effort on goal was blocked by teammate Ibrahim Sangare and the chance was lost.
The home fans witnessed an improved second-half performance as their team pressed hard for an equalizer, but they continued to struggle offensively, and when substitute Stefanos Tzimas capitalized on a defensive error with two minutes left in normal time, the game was sealed.
Failing to create a gap from the relegation zone, Nottingham Forest remain 16th, just one point clear of the bottom three, while Brighton soar three places to fifth, with their fans hopeful of a possible push for UEFA Champions League qualification this season.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Maxim De Cuyper (Brighton and Hove Albion)
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