Chris Wood scored twice at the King Power Stadium as Nottingham Forest defeated Leicester City 3-1 on Friday evening.
It took 17 minutes for the visitors to open the scoring, Ryan Yates crashing home a thunderous strike after James Justin failed to clear his lines.
The hosts would go on to equalise, with Jamie Vardy tapping home an inviting Harry Winks cross on 23 minutes.
From then on, though, it was all Forest and all Wood. His first goal came only two minutes into the second half, a true striker’s finish with his back to goal, his second a looping header after a mix-up at the back between Wout Faes and Mads Hermansen. It was a derby-winning brace, and it’s sent his side all the way up in fifth place.
As it happened
It’s one of England’s oldest rivalries. Leicester City first faced Nottingham Forest 123 years ago, the two sides meeting time and time again since then. In their first 108 clashes, there was nothing to separate them: 41 wins a piece, 27 draws sandwiched in between. Bragging rights were up for grabs at the King Power Stadium on Friday evening, with storylines as far as the eye could see.
For example, Steve Cooper is no stranger to this derby, but he’s usually not coaching the side in blue; last time he presided over this clash, he was Nottingham Forest manager, his side winning 2-0 at the City Ground.
Then there’s Nuno Espirito Santo, Cooper’s replacement, stuck in the stands serving the second game of his three match-ban after the melee which proceeded his side’s clash with Brighton back in September.
For a clash of such local magnitude, the two scorers in the first half couldn’t have been any more fitting – a local lad in red opening proceedings; a Premier League legend in blue restoring parity.
The game’s beginning was cagey. The Foxes had had just under 60% of the ball in the opening ten minutes, but they weren’t able to create any clear-cut chances. It stayed like this until the 17th minute, when a moment of brilliance changed the complexion of the game.
It was a disaster from a Leicester point of view. They were penned in following a corner, so when the ball finally broke to Facundo Buonanotte, there was a collective sigh of relief. That was until he had his pocket picked on the edge of the area, relief turning rapidly to panic. Not to worry; the ball would break for them once more, James Justin given the perfect opportunity to put his foot through the ball and clear the danger. But he scuffed the clearance, the ball falling perfectly to Forest captain Ryan Yates, 25 yards from goal.
His eyes lit up; the ball was begging to be hit, and hit it he did. The strike was low and hard, cannoning into the bottom corner just out of the reach of Mads Hermansen. It was a glorious hit, and the perfect way to take the lead in the derby.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt was over to the hosts. Their reaction would be key; would they be patient and wait for their moment to respond? Would they let the game escape their grasp? The answer? Neither.
Instead, they hit back in style. 23 minutes in, Harry Winks won the ball in his own half. He drove forward, linking up with Wilfred Ndidi and Stephy Mavididi on his way, all the while never stopping his run. When the ball found his feet again on the edge of the area, he teased a cross into the six-yard box. As ever, there was a certain someone in the middle waiting to meet it.
He may be 37 years old; he may be past his devastating peak. But if you give Jamie Vardy the ball in the box, you know what’s going to come next. He was desperate to latch onto the cross, inching in front of Murillo to poke the ball past Matz Sels into the back of the net. If ever they were going to respond, it was always going to be him.
As first halves go, this was particularly enjoyable viewing from a neutral point of view. It felt like a real derby, hard tackles flying in left right and centre (there were seven yellow cards across the course of the game) and drama from end to end.
Barring the goals, of course, there was no moment more dramatic than Hermansen pulling off one of the saves of the season in the 25th minute: another corner, another failed Leicester clearance. This time, the ball dropped fortuitously to Nicolás Domínguez at point blank. Ball still bouncing, the Argentine struck a fierce strike, and couldn’t believe his eyes when it smashed into the outstretched thigh of the great Dane between the sticks. It was a feat of remarkable shot-stopping from the man who has made the second-most saves in this Premier League season.
Embed from Getty ImagesUnfortunately for him, he wouldn’t have the same fortune come the start of the second half. Only two minutes in, Leicester were the architects of their own downfall once more, a mix-up down their right-hand side gifting the ball to Forest feet.
Once Elliot Anderson drove into the area, he had one mission: find Chris Wood. The Kiwi was waiting in the middle, his back to goal, Caleb Okoli doing everything he could to give him as little space as possible. In his form, though, all he needs is an inch to take a mile.
Holding off the Italian and still not facing the goal, Wood swivelled and unleashed a clinical finish into the bottom right corner. Hermansen – this time – was nowhere near it. He’d now scored his sixth goal of the season and his third in as many games.
Embed from Getty ImagesMore importantly, he was now in the mood. This time, Leicester couldn’t respond with haste. Nottingham Forest nearly made it three through Callum Hudson-Odoi in the 56th minute, the former Chelsea man curling a strike onto the post. Leicester would have no such luck when Wood got his next chance.
It was a hopeful punt from Sels, clearing the ball as far as he could. His striker sensed an opportunity. His strength made Wout Faes panic and the Belgian nodded the ball further into the danger zone. By this point, Hermansen had decided to come and meet the ball, but he didn’t quite commit enough: he was in no man’s land. All Wood had to do was nod the ball goalwards, looping it over the stranded goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
Where would Nottingham Forest be without him? That hypothetical is worth mulling over, but the reality is this: with Chris Wood, they’re fifth in the Premier League table, defying even their own wildest expectations.
They’d even let Leicester off the hook again in the 69th minute, with Yates inexplicably firing a shot from no more than four yards well over the bar. Suffice to say, this was an easier chance than his brilliant opener, albeit on his weaker left foot.
The second half was one of pure dominance. The hosts were lucky to only concede three; this could’ve been four or five. It was a demolition derby.
It’s a result which will sting for Leicester City, but they did it to themselves. What if Justin cleared his lines? What if they never gave the ball away in the 47th minute? What if Hermansen stayed put? For now, they’re still six points clear of the relegation zone, but this was a chance to make up real ground against their bitter rivals no less.
But for Nottingham Forest, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Their season is getting better and better, their squad going from strength to strength. They’ve already beaten the Arne Slot’s otherwise undefeatable Liverpool, and now they’re sitting pretty in the European spots. The big question is whether they can hold on. For now, though, they can just enjoy this most unexpected ride.
The lineups
LEI: Hermansen; Pereira, Okoli, Faes, Justin; Winks, Ndidi; Mavididi, Buonanotte; Fatawu; Vardy
NFO: Sels; Moreno, Murillo, Milenković, Aina; Domínguez, Yates; Hudson-Odoi, Anderson, Elanga; Wood