Nottingham Forest are undoubtedly the biggest surprise of the current year in the Premier League.
Currently ranked second, the club attacked the year 2025 as it finished 2024, with a bang. 3-0 winners at Wolverhampton, the « Reds » from the Midlands signed their sixth success in a row in the Premier League and come back level with Arsenal, runner-up to Liverpool.
In 20 days now, Nuno Espirito Santo’s players have achieved twelve victories, better than Arsenal, Manchester City or even Chelsea. Only the leader, Liverpool, does better (14 victories in 19 matches).
With 40 points, they occupy third place in the Premier League, tied with Arsenal who are ahead of them on goal difference, and six points behind Liverpool, who they will host on January 14 for the clash of the 21st day.
On January 6, 2025 at the Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, Forest opened the scoring very quickly through their captain, Morgan Gibbs-White (7th). In the 44th minute, the inevitable Chris Wood doubled the lead. Ideally served behind by winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, too fast for the Wolves defense, the experienced New Zealand striker (33) scored his 12th league goal of the season with a left-footed shot.
In added time (90th+4), Taiwo Awoniyi, who came on in place of Wood, scored the third goal of Forest’s victory at the conclusion of a controlled counter-attack.
Between the opener and Wood’s goal, Forest suffered, but Matz Sels did the job in his cage, stopping Wolverhampton’s numerous attempts in the first half (eight shots including five on target in the first 45 minutes). .
-The Belgian goalkeeper, who arrived from Strasbourg (L1) last winter, notably repelled a point-blank header from Norwegian Jörgen Strand Larsen (29th) with an astonishing reflex gesture with his right arm.
This is the ninth time this season that Forest, 2nd best defense in the championship but only 13th in attack, has finished a match without conceding a goal, the fourth time in a row.
“The Wolves had chances tonight, and Matz was amazing to keep us in the game”greeted Nuno Espirito Santo, back at Molineux (he coached Wolverhampon from 2017 to 2021).
“It’s a very tough competition, but we have to stay humble and realize that we haven’t achieved anything yet”continued the Portuguese coach of Forest, whose supporters are starting to dream of a return to the European Cup after thirty years of drought.
With AFP
