Nottingham Forest hold Brighton scoreless to move off bottom

Nottingham Forest climbed off the bottom of the Premier League table following a battling goalless draw which extended Roberto De Zerbi's winless start as Brighton manager.

Seagulls forward Leandro Trossard rattled the crossbar in the first half on a frustrating evening for the dominant hosts at the Amex Stadium, while Pascal Gross was denied a late winner by a superb save from visiting goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

Struggling Forest failed to register an effort on target but moved a point and a place above East Midlands rivals Leicester after doggedly digging in to claim only a sixth point of a difficult campaign to date.

Brighton remain seventh having failed to score in three successive games, while they have taken just two points from a possible 12 since the appointment of head coach De Zerbi a month ago.

Profligate Albion managed 19 attempts at goal but, aside from expertly clawing away from Gross nine minutes from time, England World Cup hopeful Henderson was rarely tested.

Forest travelled to Sussex on the back on their worst start to a top-flight season following seven defeats from 10 games after winning promotion from the Sky Bet Championship.

The lowly visitors were pinned back from the outset as Brighton monopolised the ball, patiently probing for a breakthrough in the 100th top-flight fixture staged at the stadium.

Belgium international Trossard went closest in the opening period, smashing a powerful effort against the top of the bar from just inside the 18-yard box in the 31st minute, having earlier been denied by Henderson.

Following a thrilling 3-3 draw at Liverpool in De Zerbi’s first game in charge, the Seagulls had suffered successive defeats without finding the net.

Their Italian boss cut an increasingly frustrated