On his comeback to St James’ Park, Chris Wood nets a hat-trick, guiding Nottingham Forest to a remarkable Premier League triumph at Newcastle and breaking a seven-game winless streak.
The outcome propels Forest to the 16th position in the table, establishing a five-point buffer from the relegation zone ahead of Tuesday’s additional fixtures.
Eddie Howe’s team initially appeared in control after Alexander Isak confidently converted a penalty midway through the first half, awarded for a challenge on Ola Aina.
However, Newcastle struggled to mount consistent attacks and remained susceptible to the counter-attacking strategy of a reshaped Forest side. Morgan Gibbs-White narrowly missed an early chance for the visitors, while Anthony Elanga squandered two promising opportunities. Eventually, Elanga combined with the former England Under-21 midfielder to set up Chris Wood for a well-deserved equalizer against his former team before halftime.
Wood, Howe’s second signing for Newcastle, extended the lead shortly after the break, capitalizing on Elanga’s pass and skillfully maneuvering past home defender Dan Burn to delicately lift the ball over goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
Adding to his impressive performance, he sealed it with yet another composed finish, taking advantage of Murillo’s through ball that left him unmarked due to the absent Newcastle defense.
Elanga and Gibbs-White also had opportunities to exacerbate the hosts’ woes, as they suffered their fourth defeat in five Premier League games, maintaining their seventh position in the table.
Wood and Gibbs-White star for revitalised Forest
A mere week after the dismissal of Steve Cooper as the manager of Forest, who oversaw just one victory in 13 top-flight games, the evidence suggests that his replacement, Nuno Espirito Santo, is swiftly implementing his own strategies to bring holiday joy to the City Ground.
Nuno, who made six changes to the starting XI that suffered a loss to Bournemouth on Saturday, reaped the rewards of a purposeful performance. Forest consistently carved through the opposing defense with sharp counter-attacks.
Chris Wood’s goal-scoring prowess, despite starting only his fifth league game of the season after primarily serving as a substitute under Cooper, rightfully earned him praise for his decisive impact. While the New Zealand striker deserves accolades for his match-winning efforts, other players in red also displayed commendable performances.
Forest’s captain, Gibbs-White, outclassing Bruno Guimaraes in midfield, could make a strong case for being the standout player of the game. He missed the opportunity to crown his impressive performance with a couple of goals.
Despite some inefficient finishing and a questionable decision to not deliver another first-half pass to Wood, Elanga served as an excellent attacking option for Forest on the right.
Newcastle’s impressive home run ends
While Newcastle entered this match amidst a challenging phase, there was an anticipation that they would extend their impressive home record with an eighth consecutive top-flight victory.
Following Aina’s slight contact on Isak’s calf, resulting in a first-half penalty that was successfully converted, Newcastle seemed to be on course for success. However, Isak faced difficulties thereafter, missing a good opportunity by heading straight at Forest goalkeeper Matt Turner. In the second half, he scuffed a low close-range effort that Turner, with assistance from Moussa Niakhate, managed to keep out, denying Anthony Gordon’s subsequent follow-up attempt.
What likely frustrated Howe the most was the repeated vulnerability of his side on the counter-attack, leading to their first home defeat against Forest in the top tier since October 1988.