Albion 0  Nottingham Forest 0

Maybe it will be against Chelsea - of all people.

But Albion’s wait for a first home win and goal under new management will go on until at least a week on Saturday.

The crossbar, Dean Henderson and their own finishing failings thwarted them here as they failed to make the most of almost 90 minutes of domination against a very limited Forest side.

The frustration was all too obvious for Roberto De Zerbi, watching from the touchline, though again he will be happy with much of the creative work he saw.

When asked about big decisions on Monday morning, De Zerbi told The Argus: “There are important decisions but when the team play well it’s not right to change more.”

As expected, he started Adam Lallana but kept changes to almost a minimum.

The ex-Liverpool man replaced Pervis Estupinan in the XI.

Three Forest changes included a return to the XI for former Albion loanee Jesse Lingard.

The Seagulls went into the game confident their football was promising to bring results – and adamant one point from nine was scarce reward for their recent efforts.

Very unusually here, the teams changed ends at kick-off.

Maybe the North Stand should take that as a compliment as Forest skipper Ryan Yates made the call.

Albion opened in a back three with Leandro Trossard on the left and Solly March down the right.

Danny Welbeck almost got in from a long ball early on.

That forced a corner, as did a run by Trossard, as Albion started brightly.

March got to the byline and had his cross headed away.

A Lallana cross dropped to Joel Veltman, who did not make good contact with his shot. The effort was blocked amid half-hearted calls for handball.

Henderson was tested on 13 minutes as he pushed over a Trossard shot.

The Belgian switched the ball on to his right foot and connected well.

Henderson also fisted the resulting corner away under pressure.

Lallana and Pascal Gross were playing in pockets just off Welbeck and the hosts had plenty of men forward.

Lallana got a long way forward on one occasion but his cutback from near the byline was blocked as Welbeck waited in the middle.

There were four occasions around the half-hour when the breakthrough could have come.

Trossard crashed a shot on to the bar from the edge of the box.

Lallana failed to get proper contact on a header from Trossard’s cross.

And then March cut inside and drilled in a low shot forcing a sharp save by Henderson at his near post.

De Zerbi could barely believe what he was seeing and buried his head in the hood of his top when Gross thumped a drive from a great position straight at Henderson, who then snatched the rebound away from Welbeck.

Albion’s 12th and last shot of the half came in added time.

Adam Webster started the move with good footwork to commit opponents and finished it when his shot, on the slide and from the near the penalty spot, flew narrowly over from Gross’s cutback.

It did not take long for more goal attempts to follow after the break.

March was fouled and Alexis Mac Allister’s 30-yard free-kick deflected behind.

Gross’s subsequent corner was turned goalwards by Welbeck and Henderson parried rather unconvincingly.

Then a delicious curling cross by Veltman picked out Welbeck, whose header was tame - and a couple of yards wide.

Moises Caicedo was the first player booked as he caught Yates in the face with a high boot as the ball bounced between them.

You could hear the exasperation in the crowd when Welbeck’s touch let him down as Trossard tried to get him through to the left of goal.

And again when Gross fed March, whose low cross could not find Welbeck right in front of goal.

Albion sent on Tariq Lamptey for Lallana in a bid for more thrust out wide.

With Brennan Johnson a potential threat, there were very occasional Forest forays.

But it was mainly Albion pushing and Gross, leaning back, shot over from a Welbeck lay-off.

Mac Allister’s name went in the book for a midfield foul on Yates.

Gross thought he made the breakthrough on 80 minutes but Henderson produced a stunning one-handed save from the German, who had actually mistimed his shot and sent it into the ground.

He was replaced by Deniz Undav soon after.

But there was to be no late drama.

Albion: Sanchez; Veltman; Dunk; Webster; March; Mac Allister; Caicedo; Lallana (Lamptey 64); Trossard; Gross(Undav 85); Welbeck.

Yellow card; Caicedo (54) dangerous play, Mac Allister (78) dangerous play, Lamptey (90) foul .

Nottingham Forest: Henderson; Aurier (Toffolo 68, Biancone 86); Cook; McKenna; Williams; Yates; Mangala (Kouyate 61); Freuler; Gibbs-White; Lingard (Worrall 86); Johnson (Awoniyi 86) Yellow card; Toffolo (85) foul.

Referee: Darren England.