Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-3 Nottingham Forest (Premier League) 06.01.25
A sixth straight Premier League win and a top flight record not reached since the swinging sixties of Storey-Moore, Baxter and Barnwell, Nottingham Forest are on fire and are ferociously putting themselves in the championship mix, ironically, fifty years to the day that the greatest of them all walked through the doors at the world famous.
Further irony will tell you when Brian Clough led Nottingham Forest to their first and only top division title, along with back-to-back European Cups let’s not forget? The main rival for honours back in the late seventies and early eighties was Liverpool, who not only top the Premier League by six points at the midway point, the two teams do battle next at the City Ground in a weeks time, if Forest do the double on Arne Slot’s machine, then Nuno’s boys really are in the title race.
Against Wolves, the reds in blue rallied with confidence from the off, there’s a swagger about this team right now, a belief they can beat anybody, former Wanderer, villain of the piece, Morgan Gibbs-White coming back to haunt his old club, above the boos he broke from his own half and carried the ball sixty-seventy yards passing right to Elanga who in return pulled back for the Stafford born playmaker to slot home in front of his old faithful in the Jack Harris stand. Enter fingers in ears and customary celebration.
It wasn’t easy, a free-flowing first half played like a Basketball match gave opportunity to Wolves who should have scored not once, not twice, but probably three or more times. Matz Sels called to action all too often, when he was beaten it was Murillo on the line, the home side spurning opportunities from Guedes, Larsen and co. The Forest wall, somehow not breached.
The Reds however pose a poignant reminder to Clough’s greatly assembled past squads that put the very Garibaldi on the global map, a resilience to defend and attack at pace, Forest the kings of counter-attack, “the best in Europe” says one Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football.
Nothing fancy either, a long keepers punt a minute before half time found the previously quiet Callum Hudson-Odoi on the left wing, he got the better of Matt Doherty, and ran and ran and ran, into the box at pace, before pulling back to Chris Wood, the rest we can all predict.
Wood netting his twelfth Premier League goal on the stroke of half time a stab in the heart of Wolves who attacked well in the first 45 but didn’t have the cutting edge which Forest so evidently do.
Half Time: 0-2
Anyone predicting anything else other than Forest shutting up shop and seeing out the match will not have seen Nuno’s Reds play this season, they are expert at seeing out games and the best in the league at doing so. A ninth clean sheet in twenty matches assured the minute that Morato made his way onto the pitch on the hour. A fourth successive clean sheet helped by the tactical switch that often see’s 4-3-3 revert to 5-4-1 when Forest are leading.
Wolves huffed without puff as Milenkovic, Murillo and Morato, kicked, headed, blocked and battered everything that came their way, these are all very good defenders who can play and pass, but when asked to defend they do the basics first and foremost, non the least in the dying moments when Milenkovic just smashed the ball away from danger, a good old up and under, anywhere will do, the long one however has become such a good out ball for Forest, who’s pace in attack is a now widely acclaimed lethal weapon. Hudson-Odoi again getting the better of his marker on half way, as Wolves pushed up in search of consolation they left themselves open, sprightly subs in James Ward-Prowse and Taiwo Awoniyi on the prowl ahead of the ball, Hudson playing perfectly to Prowse who through on goal slid in Taiwo who had the easiest finish and the biggest smile in Staffordshire.
It’s been a tough time for Taiwo Awoniyi who has struggled for minutes following a number of injuries and losing his place to the prolific Chris Wood, but he’s fondly remembered for his goals that saved Forest in their first campaign back in the big time, there’s a lot who’ll say he’s the perfect foil for Wood and should be considered above potential signings Ferguson from Brighton or Giminez of Feyenoord should the club want to get the cheque book out again, Awoniyi, finally scoring his first goal this season will give him the confidence he needs to become a vital tool still to play a huge part in this terrific season that Forest are involved in.
From 1-11 the Reds were exceptional at Molineux, they rode their luck in the first half, needed every defensive quality they had to keep the ball out of the net but in midfield and attack they excelled in doing the damage in the most clinical fashion. The Reds now have a nice distraction in the FA Cup at home to Luton Town this weekend, then it’s the big one, Tuesday night, under the lights at the City Ground, against Liverpool, in what is already being considered as a title decider.
Lose the game, then Forest’s dream becomes more targeted to qualifying for Europe next season which will be a huge success in itself, win it, and people will start asking if “anybody is stupid enough to write us off”.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Sa, Doherty, Bueno, Ait-Nouri, Pedro Lima (Bellegarde 59), Doyle (Lemina 59), Joao Gomes, Rodrigo Gomes, Guedes (Sarabia 75), Hwang (Forbs 75), Strand Larsen.
Nottingham Forest: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Dominguez (Morato 60), Anderson (Jota Silva 69), Elanga (Yates 69), Gibbs-White (Ward-Prowse 88), Hudson-Odoi, Wood (Awoniyi 88).
Venue: Molineux (29,940)
*Article provided by Daniel Peacock (Editor).
*Main image @NFFC Morgan Gibbs-White celebrates his opening goal for Forest.
