Loftus Road was the venue for the match-up between QPR and Nottingham Forest, a match-up that was hyped up to be Queens Park Rangers' day.

Dubbed as the favourites for the match, with star striker Charlie Austin looking to continue his brilliant form, QPR were hopeful that they could walk away with all three points against a struggling Forest side.

However, Dougie Freedman and Nottingham Forest had other ideas as they went on the win the game 2-1, thanks to goals from Henri Lansbury and new signing Nelson Oliveira.

Rob Green's sending off to concede a 75th minute penalty certainly contributed to his side's defeat, but there's no doubt that Forest were significantly improved from their 2-1 defeat at home to Cardiff City.

QPR weren't without their moments of quality, with Austin's goal being the most prominent moment for the side who were close to making it four wins in a row.

But it was Forest who went home happy as Freedman looks to improve his side's form as the season progresses.

The game had plenty of talking points, but here's three things that we learnt from the match:

1) Forest are a more balanced team without Michail Antonio

There's no doubt in anyone's mind that Michail Antonio will be a huge loss for a Nottingham Forest side that relied on his abilities for the majority of last season.

However, in Forest's victory against QPR, the team certainly looked more balanced, composed and organised after the pacey winger's departure from the City Ground. The team were solid in their formation, eager to stay in shape and confident on the ball, resulting in a fantastic win for Freedman's side.

Freedman has recently argued that Forest are a more balanced side now Antonio is a Premier League player.

Yesterday, we learnt that he is probably right.

There was not a single player performing above the rest for Forest as a number of players put in a shift to win at a very difficult ground. New signing Chris O'Grady won the man-of-the-match award, but players such as Lansbury, David Vaughan, Ryan Mendes and Matt Mills all stood out in a team full of confidence on the ball.

QPR posed a significant threat for portions of the game, but Forest's ability to get men behind the ball and spring passing attacks on their hosts was key to the outcome of the contest.

2) Forest's new signings were a success

Forest's deadline day lasted over a week and a half due to the fact that the East Midlands club were hesitant to announce their new signings in the wake of a previous loan mix-up for goalkeeper Ben Hamer.

The loan capture of Jonny Williams was finally announced on Thursday, allowing Forest fans to finally reflect on the team that Freedman has built following the summer transfer window.

And yesterday, three of Forest's new signings put in brilliant attacking performances to add a new dimension to Forest's game.

O'Grady, an ever physical presence, held up the ball superbly, allowing the likes of Mendes, Oliviera and Jamie Ward into the play at different points in the game.

This allowed new signings Mendes and Oliveira to show what they are made of as they both linked up to score Forest's winning goal. Oliveira scored the goal, but Mendes put in a top display to make his mark among the Forest supporters.

All three new signings looked to improve the Forest team who had struggled so far this season. Hopefully for Forest fans, they can be the turning point in their season.

3) Charlie Austin was the star in a tricky situation

It's well documented and reported that Austin is one of the best players in the Championship, if not the best. However, a striker still needs the service from those behind him to score goals.

But, unsurprisingly, the forward still managed to show his quality against Forest, despite not getting the service that he evidently deserves.

QPR were limited in their attacking ability as a result of Forest players getting behind the ball early, yet Austin was still able to perform in a game that the hosts weren't dominating.

By scoring a great goal, albeit somewhat assisted by a goalkeeping error by the Dutchman Dorus de Vries, the 26 year old striker showed glimpses of why he is sought after by a number of Premier League clubs.

There's no doubt that the striker will thrive in the Championship, and he showed that yesterday by managing to find space on the pitch and cause problems for the Forest defence.

It wasn't QPR's day, but Austin still gave QPR fans a reminder of how important he will be for Chris Ramsey's side this season.

QPR and Forest fans... Do you agree? How far can your sides go this season? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!