Brentford marked their 100th Premier League game at Gtech Community Stadium with a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest, thanks to a Nikola Milenković own goal and Igor Thiago’s close-range finish.

Milenković turned Dango Ouattara’s low cross into his own net on the half-hour mark, before Mathias Jensen rattled the crossbar with a free-kick. Having weathered a spell of Forest pressure after the break, the Bees doubled their lead through Thiago on 76 minutes.

Head coach Keith Andrews made one change to the side that started the west Londoners’ previous Premier League game against Hull City, with Vitaly Janelt returning from suspension to replace Aaron Hickey in midfield.

Hickey moved to the bench, with Benjamin Fredrick dropping out of the matchday squad.

Brentford threatened after four minutes when Neco Williams headed Janelt’s in-swinging corner clear at the near post, but only as far as Mamadou Sangaré, whose sweetly struck volley whistled just over the crossbar.

At the other end, Williams’ cross was blocked before James McAtee’s effort deflected into the path of Liam Delap. The striker attempted an ambitious shot on the turn but, leaning back, sent the ball well off target.

Forest threatened again on 18 minutes when Morgan Gibbs-White drove forward following a turnover in midfield, but Sepp van den Berg headed his effort from distance away.

A minute later, Williams’ delivery from the right dropped to Jair Cunha, who was still in an advanced position following a corner, but the defender could not react quickly enough to turn the ball towards goal.

Jensen then slipped Thiago through at the other end. Under pressure from Murillo, the striker took his shot early but dragged it wide of Matz Sels’ left post.

Kristoffer Ajer raced across to block Delap’s shot after the forward was released down the right side of the box, before McAtee drifted in from the flank and took aim from just outside the area, his effort bouncing inches wide of the far post.

Andrews’ side took the lead on the half-hour mark. Ouattara received the ball on the right and skipped past Murillo on his way into the Forest penalty area before his low cross from the byline was inadvertently turned into his own net by Milenković.

Jensen came close to doubling Brentford’s advantage on 36 minutes. Kevin Schade was released by Keane Lewis-Potter and tripped by Milenković on the left edge of the Forest penalty area.

Jensen and Janelt stood over the resulting free-kick, with the former lifting a dipping effort over the wall and against the crossbar.

Caoimhín Kelleher made a brave stop two minutes after the restart. Gibbs-White made first contact with a cross from the right before the Brentford keeper dived at Delap’s feet to gather the loose ball, winning a free-kick in the process.

Gibbs-White delivered an inviting ball into the Brentford box on 54 minutes, but Ryan Yates sent his stooping header over the bar.

Moments after coming on, Arnaud Kalimuendo raced towards goal and saw his shot from the left side of the box blocked by van den Berg.

Williams whipped in the resulting corner, which Gibbs-White met with a header towards goal, but Thiago was on hand to clear.

Having soaked up a spell of Forest pressure, Brentford doubled their lead on 76 minutes.

Two of Andrews’ substitutes combined in the build-up. Hickey fizzed an inch-perfect pass out to Jaidon Anthony on the right and the winger took the ball in his stride before picking out Thiago in the penalty area. The striker’s shot deflected off Milenković and struck the underside of the crossbar on its way past Sels.

Brentford saw out the closing stages to secure their third win of the Premier League season.

Brentford (4-3-3): Kelleher; Kayode, Ajer, van den Berg, Lewis-Potter; Janelt, Sangaré (Hickey 62), Jensen (Damsgaard 62); Ouattara (Anthony 72), Thiago, Schade (Wilson 84)

Subs: Valdimarsson, Collins, Diouf, Nunes, Schuster

Nottingham Forest (3-4-2-1): Sels; Milenković, Murillo, Jair Cunha; Aina (Muñoz HT), McAtee, Schlager (Yates HT), Williams; Gibbs-White, Ndoye (Kalimuendo 65); Delap (Wood 65)

Subs: Victor, Diomande, Sangare, Hudson-Odoi, Netz

Attendance: 17,108