Nottingham Forest smashed-and-grabbed their way to a 3-0 win against Wolves at Molineux, drawing them level on points with Arsenal in the Premier League in the process.
When Morgan Gibbs-White scored early on, it looked as though his former side would be swept aside with ease, but Wolves dominated both the ball and chances throughout the rest of the first half – that was until a swift counter attack led to Chris Wood doubling the lead just before the halftime whistle sounded.
The second goal took its toll on Wolves. Throughout the second half, they continued to limit Forest chances but didn’t create much as clear cut as in the first. Come fulltime, a spirited display yielded no goals and no points – much to the delight of Nuno Espirito Santo and Nottingham Forest.
Right at the end, they put the cherry on top; another counter, another goal, this time courtesy of substitute Taiwo Awoniyi. Their sixth win in a row marks their best topflight run of form since the 1960s.
As it happened
It was a tale of two sides occupying opposing ends of the table at Molineux. Wolves, despite having recently found their form under Vítor Pereira, were still 17th and too close to the relegation zone for comfort. Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, were flying. They were third before a ball was kicked and offered the chance to go level on points with Arsenal in second with a win. This was the perfect opportunity to solidify their place right at the top of the pile – somewhere not even their most optimistic of fans would’ve predicted at the start of the season.
They started just as they’d hope to continue. Only seven minutes in, Elliott Anderson played a terrific ball to Gibbs-White who had acres of space to drive into. As he approached the Wolves goal, his every touch was met with boos and jeers by the fans who once cheered his name.
Regardless, on and on he went before finding Anthony Elanga down the righthand side. One cutback later, the ball was back at the feet of the Forest captain, and he only needed one touch to steer a strike into José Sá’s bottom left corner.
One chance, one goal. Gibbs-White sprinted to the fans whose boos had only intensified, and stuck fingers in his ears. He’d heard them before, but with his side in front, he certainly couldn’t anymore.
Embed from Getty ImagesForest could surely only build on their lead, but they didn’t – at least not immediately. Instead, they allowed Wolves back into the game, and they really should have made the most of that.
Their game plan was clear: get it out wide and then get it to the big man. Jørgen Larsen had already scored seven Premier League goals up to this point, and it might have been eight or even nine come half time if luck had favoured him. But it just didn’t happen.
First, he was denied on the line by Murillo; Hwang Hee Chan had darted into the area, checked back and found the Norwegian not two yards from goal, but his stabbed effort was cleared. Then it was a wicked cross courtesy of Rodrigo Gomes, the resulting header too central to beat Matz Sels, who shifted his body in an instant to parry the shot.
Gomes himself was also denied by Sels after hitting a volley remarkably true but a tad too central.
It wasn’t just the chances. Wolves were moving the ball better than Forest, pouncing on mistakes better, gradually building in ways that looked impossible for this squad under Gary O’Neil. They went into this game unbeaten in three; they’re an altogether different side. And yet, none of that would soon matter.
Right before the end of the half, the visitors realised their order of the day, and it was hitting on the break. Sels pumped the ball forwards towards Callum Hudson-Odoi and the former Chelsea man had no issue beating Matt Doherty for pace. Once he was in the area, a free man was all he needed to ensure a goal – and he found him.
That free man was Wood, a tap off the left foot enough to steer the ball into the back of the net to double the lead. He hadn’t had a sniff all half, but that didn’t matter to him. He was given an inch, and he took a mile, just as he has done 12 times in the Premier League this season. He’s a striker on fire.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe wind was well and truly taken out of Wolves’ sails. This was a sucker punch; the worst time to concede again. That showed as the rest of the match played out, the team which had created chance after chance in the first half struggling to do so in the second.
Still, the first piece of excellent goalkeeping in the second half came from Sels once more, Larsen breaking into the area and crashing a strike towards the near post. It was hit hard, true and met by a flying Belgian. The Forest keeper was having one of those days; he was imperious.
Then, right at the end, Forest put the game to bed. It was another long pass, another dart inside by Hudson-Odoi, and another goal. This time, the ball was played out to James Ward-Prowse, who squared it to fellow substitute Taiwo Awoniyi to tap into an empty net. Rinse and repeat; smash and grab. Forest had won once more, this now their best run of form in the topflight since the 1960s.
Embed from Getty ImagesWolves’ biggest accomplishment in this game was that they didn’t allow Forest to have things all their own way. When the rapid counterattack wasn’t available, the visitors were forced to labour against a very solid defence. It was only when forced to transition that they came undone.
They could, maybe even should, have scored at least once; it was the least their performance deserved. Pereira’s Wolves are a side looking – mind the cliché – too good to go down. They lost against the league’s most surprising high-flyers, but they perhaps didn’t deserve to – at least not by three. It’s ironic then that this was their first home game of the season in which they’ve failed to score. Football can be cruel, but for them, the only way looks to be up.
As for Nottingham Forest, though, they are looking quite unbeatable. They’ve now won all of their last six games, their last loss almost a month ago to the day. Forty points puts them level with Arsenal. They’re third in the table and four clear of Chelsea. Besides Liverpool, they may well be the best side in the Premier League. Who saw that coming?
The lineups
WOL: Sá; Aït Nouri, Bueno, Doherty; R. Gomes, J. Gomes, Doyle, Lima; Hwang, Guedes; Larsen
NFO: Sels; Williams, Murillo, Milenković, Aina; Anderson, Domínguez; Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Elanga; Wood
FEATURED IMAGE: Chris Hepburn