Two clubs who have never crossed paths in the FA Cup before meet for the first time in the competition on Saturday, as Brighton & Hove Albion welcome Nottingham Forest to the Amex Stadium for a fascinating quarter-final tie.
The Seagulls are bidding to make it three straight wins at this stage of the competition, having triumphed over Millwall in the last eight of the 2018-19 FA Cup before repeating the trick against Grimsby Town in the 2022-23 edition.
Fabian Hurzeler‘s men certainly had to do it the hard way to progress to this season’s quarters, though, prevailing 2-1 over Newcastle United after extra time in a fiery last-16 clash, which saw both sides finish the game with 10 men.
Meanwhile, the Tricky Trees endeavour to avoid a fourth successive FA Cup quarter-final defeat since last making the semis in 1991, and Nuno Espirito Santo‘s men earned their place in the last eight by overcoming Ipswich Town on penalties.
Here, Sports Mole looks at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two clubs.
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Head-to-head record
Previous meetings: 43
Nott’m Forest wins: 18
Draws: 12
Brighton wins: 13
Not exactly a fixture filled with rich history, Nottingham Forest and Brighton & Hove Albion – both recent Premier League mainstays – have only met in a total of 43 competitive matches since their inaugural battle in 1949.
Barely anything can separate the two outfits in the head-to-head column either, as while Forest just edge the wins counter with 18, the Seagulls have prevailed on a respectable 13 occasions, and another 12 contests have ended level.
However, while the overall record might be close, their meeting at the City Ground in February 2025 was anything but, as Forest obliterated Brighton 7-0 for their biggest top-flight win of the Premier League era.
Brighton had more to shout about before that City Ground crushing, only losing one of their first five matches against Forest in the top flight of English football, a 3-1 beatdown at the City Ground in April 2023.
The Seagulls have since taken seven points from the last 12 on offer against Forest, whom they did the double over in the 2023-24 campaign with an engrossing 3-2 away success before a 1-0 home triumph.
Four goals were also evenly shared between the two clubs at the Amex in September 2024, where Ramon Sosa saved Forest’s bacon with a 70th-minute leveller before the contest descended into chaos, as Morgan Gibbs-White, Fabian Hurzeler and Nuno Espirito Santo were all sent off.
The bulk of Forest’s successes in this fixture came long before the 21st century, as the Tricky Trees have won just seven of their 25 battles since the turn of the millennium and have also failed to score in four of their last five away games against Brighton.
Interestingly, these two clubs have never met in the FA Cup, and only three of their 42 contests have come outside of league football, League Cup ties in 1978 and 1986 that both went the way of Forest.
No player enjoyed this fixture more than ex-Forest striker Ian Wallace, who struck five goals against Brighton during his career, but Henri Lansbury and Chris Wood have found the back of the net four times versus the Seagulls in a Garibaldi strip.
Last 20 meetings
Feb 01, 2025: Nott’m Forest 7-0 Brighton (Premier League)
Sep 22, 2024: Brighton 2-2 Nott’m Forest (Premier League)
Mar 10, 2024: Brighton 1-0 Nott’m Forest (Premier League)
Nov 25, 2023: Nott’m Forest 2-3 Brighton (Premier League)
Apr 26, 2023: Nott’m Forest 3-1 Brighton (Premier League)
Oct 18, 2022: Brighton 0-0 Nott’m Forest (Premier League)
Mar 04, 2017: Nott’m Forest 3-0 Brighton (Championship)
Aug 12, 2016: Brighton 3-0 Nott’m Forest (Championship)
Apr 11, 2016: Nott’m Forest 1-2 Brighton (Championship)
Aug 07, 2015: Brighton 1-0 Nott’m Forest (Championship)
Feb 07, 2015: Brighton 2-3 Nott’m Forest (Championship)
Sep 27, 2014: Nott’m Forest 0-0 Brighton (Championship)
May 03, 2014: Nott’m Forest 1-2 Brighton (Championship)
Oct 05, 2013: Brighton 1-3 Nott’m Forest (Championship)
Mar 30, 2013: Nott’m Forest 2-2 Brighton (Championship)
Dec 15, 2012: Brighton 0-0 Nott’m Forest (Championship)
Mar 24, 2012: Nott’m Forest 1-1 Brighton (Championship)
Dec 03, 2011: Brighton 1-0 Nott’m Forest (Championship)
Mar 24, 2008: Nott’m Forest 0-0 Brighton (League One)
Dec 07, 2007: Brighton 0-2 Nott’m Forest (League One)
Last six Premier League meetings
Feb 01, 2025: Nott’m Forest 7-0 Brighton (Premier League)
Sep 22, 2024: Brighton 2-2 Nott’m Forest (Premier League)
Mar 10, 2024: Brighton 1-0 Nott’m Forest (Premier League)
Nov 25, 2023: Nott’m Forest 2-3 Brighton (Premier League)
Apr 26, 2023: Nott’m Forest 3-1 Brighton (Premier League)
Oct 18, 2022: Brighton 0-0 Nott’m Forest (Premier League)
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