Morgan Gibbs-White Fires Notts Forest to 4-1 Burnley Win
notts forest got the result they needed most, and Morgan Gibbs-White supplied it. His second-half hat-trick turned a 1-0 deficit into a 4-1 win over Burnley on 21 April 2025, moving Forest five points clear of the relegation zone with five games left.
The midfielder had not scored more than once in a game since February 2022. This time he scored three after the break, while Igor Jesus added the fourth in stoppage time to seal Forest’s first home league win since December.
Gibbs-White at the City Ground
Burnley had taken the lead through Zian Flemming in first-half stoppage time, finishing a low cross from Quilindschy Hartman. Forest needed a response after that, and Gibbs-White delivered it in a seven-minute burst that changed the match.
He scored twice in seven minutes, then completed his first career hat-trick 13 minutes from the end with a header from Ryan Yates’ cross. By then Burnley were already chasing the game, and Forest kept pressing until Jesus made it 4-1 in stoppage time.
Forest’s relegation pressure
The win did more than end Burnley’s resistance. Forest extended their unbeaten run to seven games in all competitions and picked up another result in a week when they had already taken four crucial points in their relegation battle.
That run matters because Forest have also been navigating a season-defining period around their Europa League quarter-final with Porto and a place in the last four of a European competition for the first time in 42 years. Even with that focus, the league points kept coming.
Burnley’s thin margin
Burnley left second-bottom and 12 points from safety with five games left. Their situation is stark: they would be relegated if West Ham beat Crystal Palace on Monday and Burnley fail to win against Manchester City on Wednesday.
For Forest, the table now gives them a cushion and a home win to build on. For Burnley, the gap is down to the calendar and the next two results, with no room left for another wasted night.
