There were questions being asked about the signs of Forest slipping and if they had enough legs to sustain their winning ways, after Bournemouth inflicted a 5-0 dismantling on them last weekend.
At the City Ground, Nottingham Forest dispelled those questions with clarity, as they achieved their biggest victory in 34 years in the top flight.
Morgan Gibbs-White forced a Lewis Dunk own goal before flicking on a header from a corner at the front post to leave Bart Verbruggen scrambling to react for the second.
The Brighton net went on to buckle more and more times as Anthony Elanga set up Chris Wood, who delicately placed his header to make it 3-0 to Forest with 32 minutes played.
Another chance was put on a plate for Chris Wood, again through the adept wing play of Elanga, who made it a hat-trick of assists.
Chris Wood then completed his second hat-trick of the campaign with a penalty and increased his goal tally to 17 in the Premier League, which is level with Alexander Isak.
Neco Williams picked up his second ever Premier League goal and Jota Silva added to the Brighton woes late on.
With a style of play that some frown upon as behind the times and poised to capitulate against teams that may start to figure it out, Nuno Espírito Santo ensured his team were intense from the get go, and produced an attacking display that could rival any performance any team has produced this season.
Here are four things we learnt from Nottingham Forest's 7-0 domination over Brighton:
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Anthony Elanga Taking Responsibility
The injury to Callum Hudson-Odoi sparked fear into some Forest fans due to what he provides them in a team which thrives off transition and principally relies on direct attacks from the wingers once the ball is won back.
The service to Chris Wood is also what takes Forest's consistency to a new level and there was the concern of how Elanga would be affected by the lack of Hudson-Odoi, as the two of them combined make such a difference.
Yet, the hat-trick of assists this afternoon from the former Manchester United winger epitomises his tenacity to be the main man at Forest, and he has been given the opportunity to do so.
He executed his corner delivery with precision, perfectly understanding the front post run of his captain Gibbs-White, who converted his header at the start of The Garibaldis' onslaught.
Chris Wood was then in the right position at the right time for two chances you would never expect him to miss. This was due to Elanga's ability to ride challenges and burst past defenders, but also his lack of hesitancy to do so, catching the defenders on their heels.
The constant threat in behind and the attacking outlet was through Anthony Elanga. He has certainly been the backbone to Chris Wood accomplishing the highest goal conversion rate in the league, meaning the amount of shots which equate to goals, and they have developed a formidable relationship.
The Swedish international seems to prosper when he is given an inch of space, and the opportunities that Nottingham Forest create stem from his driving runs with the ball up the pitch and excellent service to their talisman.
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Attacking Objective Throughout The Whole Match
It was a slight formation change from Nuno as he employed a 3-4-2-1 setup, which was used in their 2-0 away win over Brentford where they ended their unbeaten record at home.
Ola Aina and Neco Williams, who won the most duels in the contest, were given license to push forward into spaces on the wings, and they were often positioned defensively in areas where they could be supported by the central defenders and the midfielders tracking back.
Nikola Milenkovi c had the two Brazilians of Morato and Murillo either side of him, and they all added their fair share of clearances and blocks, while Matz Sels made a series of saves to solidify another commendable clean sheet.
At the start of the second half, it felt like it could be a possible repeat of Southampton's fight back at the City Ground to make it 3-2 a few weeks ago. Brighton were building momentum and they kept hunting for a goal.
Forest truly grasped the game by continuing to impose an attacking objective rather than simply opting to soak up pressure until the end, and the floodgates seemed to be wide open for Fabian Hürzeler's side.
Gibbs-White and Elanga were particularly instrumental in how Forest advanced up the pitch and always had the aim to move the ball quickly and finish the attack, diminishing any time the Brighton defence had to set themselves up.
Nuno evidently gave both players the opportunity to roam with freedom, both adopting positions suited to each passage of play in transition specifically, with imperious fluidity rather than set in their supposed starting positions.
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A Squad Now Built With Stability
Nuno made two changes for Forest's shot at redemption against Brighton. Ryan Yates and Jota Silva took their place on the bench as Morato and Danilo slotted into the system.
The latter made his first Premier League appearance since he broke his ankle in the very first game of the season, and he made a clever pass into Gibbs-White in space to impact the first goal.
Ibrahim Sangaré had a brief stint in the Forest midfield as he returned from injury, and Nicolás Domínguez was substituted on in the 65th minute.
There is a sense of rotation with players that Nuno can trust as well as his knowledge of the players he thinks are best suited to start most games.
However, the more important aspect is that of competition between the players for places. As Danilo and Sanagré made their returns from injury, Ryan Yates will certainly have more to fight for, especially with the cameo from Sanagré looked sharp and promising.
It will be crucial to have a largely consistent lineup for the remainder of the games and maintain the chemistry between the players.
But, the makeup of the wider squad could be the main difference to develop the best individual performances and reach their goals of European football next term.
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The Vitality of The City Ground
The Tricky Trees have only lost twice at the City Ground all season and, despite the initial tension in the lead up to the game where Forest could not afford anything but a win, the atmosphere soon propelled their team to a comprehensive, statement three points.
The atmosphere builds the most and the team seem to perform the best once they have scored the first goal.
Forest scored the opening goal for the 19th time in the 24 games they have played in the league, and they have only lost from their initial lead on one occassion.
Their next league fixtures away from home are Fulham and Newcastle, while they host Arsenal at the end the month.
It is important that if anything untoward happens in the most defining moments of the season, they need to assert their authority and score the first goal in the games at the City Ground.
