If Nottingham Forest didn’t have already got the Premier League’s consideration, it positive does now.
Final season’s relegation fighters destroyed a decent Brighton & Hove Albion aspect 7-0 on Saturday. They now sit third within the league, stage on factors with second-place Arsenal.
They’re solely 9 factors off leaders Liverpool. With 14 video games remaining, many nonetheless marvel if Forest is a contender or a pretender.
Their constant goal-scoring, defensive presence and administration show that the Reds can severely push for the title.
Forest, like Liverpool and Manchester Metropolis, have a reliable aim scorer essential to compete on the prime of the desk. Striker Chris Wooden has 17 targets this season, together with a hat trick Saturday.
Wooden is an old-school middle ahead who depends on his top and positioning to attain targets. Forest performs to his strengths as a comparatively direct crew that presses exhausting and counters rapidly. The aspect has solely been held scoreless 4 instances this season.
With Arsenal struggling to depend on a real striker, Forest’s constant strategy may very well be the distinction because the season wanes.
Moreover, the outdated adage of “protection wins championships” rings true within the Premier League. Groups in the direction of the highest of the league are often prime in shutouts as nicely.
Forest’s protection is excellent this season. The crew leads the Premier League in shutouts with 10 in 24 video games. The middle again pairing of Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic proves an excellent piece of recruitment.
Maybe the crew’s standout performer is goalkeeper Matz Sels. Introduced into the membership final January, he and Forest hobbled to a Seventeenth-place end, one spot above the relegation zone.
Sels is flying this season, actually. His save percentage is over 75 p.c, one of the best within the Premier League for any goalkeeper enjoying greater than seven video games.
Regardless of the lopsided scoreline, he needed to make just a few stellar saves in Saturday’s win, together with a fingertip contact onto the crossbar from Brighton’s Danny Welbeck.
Supervisor Nuno Espírito Santo deserves huge credit score as nicely. He got here to Forest in December of 2023, obtained the membership to security and by no means regarded again. He’s an skilled Premier League supervisor who’s getting one of the best out of formerly-forgotten gamers.
Below Nuno, Anthony Elanga shines as a playmaker in methods he by no means did at Manchester United. He had three assists Saturday and leads the crew for the season with six.
Morgan Gibbs-White, who performed beneath Nuno at Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in his profession, is now a mature, hardworking captain. Scoring on what was his one hundredth look for Forest Saturday, he now has scored at the very least 5 targets in each season with the membership.
Many discounted Forest after shedding 5-0 to Bournemouth in its final sport. The squad responded emphatically on Saturday, which is a testomony to their aggressive spirit and high quality teaching.
When requested about his crew’s championship-caliber response to adversity, Nuno stored his eyes on the prize, assuring the media,
“Subsequent week, we’ll strive it once more.”
