Nottingham Forest 3-0 West Ham: Chris Wood scores again as Nuno Espirito Santo's side move into third
Chris Wood maintained his impressive scoring streak by finding the net first in the 3-0 victory over West Ham United. This win propelled Nottingham Forest into third place, marking their highest position since 1998.
Forest made their way home after getting the first shot on goal of the game, connecting with a cross from Alex Moreno on the left side (27).
Wood has scored eight times in his last eight matches for both his club and national team. He's firmly establishing himself as a strong contender against Manchester City's Erling Haaland in the competition for the golden boot.
West Ham nearly equalized with a shot from Lucas Paqueta that was cleared off the line, but their troubles in the first half worsened when Edson Alvarez received a red card.
The midfielder received two yellow cards within just three minutes, leading to his team's reduction to ten players. He forced referee Peter Bankes's hand by making a reckless tackle on Anthony Elanga.
Callum Hudson-Odoi played a significant role in the match and finally found the back of the net, scoring a stunning second goal for his team with a well-placed shot from outside the penalty area in the 65th minute.
Here’s a rephrased version of the blog section: Forest: Sels (7), Murillo (7), Gibbs-White (7), Wood (8), Hudson-Odoi (9), Dominguez (8), Moreno (8), Elanga (7), Yates (7), Milenkovic (7); Aina (9).
Substitutes: Jota (6), Anderson (6), Awoniyi (not applicable).
West Ham: Fabianski (5), Wan-Bissaka (5), Todibo (4), Mavropanos (5), Kilman (4), Emerson (5), Alvarez (3), Rodriguez (5), Paqueta (5), Summerville (5); Bowen (5).
Substitutes: Antonio (5), Soler (5).
Player of the game: Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Ola Aina scored a third goal, which some might say was the best of the night, taking advantage of a mistake by Jean-Clair Todibo. He fired a shot into the top left corner, sealing a remarkable win for his team, which is doing exceptionally well.
Nuno: Top Four Is No Longer Important
Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo:
I believe we should all take pride in our performance. We kicked off the game strong, managed their threats effectively, and maintained a positive approach in our attacking play.
"The red card turned the game around completely, but the players knew better than to take it easy. This is the essence of football; it was an amazing moment for both us and our supporters."
When pressed for his thoughts on the season following their entry into the top four, Nuno responded: "You all know how I am. It's just ten minutes after the match, and I'm already focused on our upcoming training session."
"It doesn't hold much significance at this point. We need to move forward since there's a long season still ahead of us. It's a good moment, but we must continue pushing on."
"Why Not Rank Forest In The Top Four?"
Sky Sports presenter Patrick Rowe:
Things are going really well for Forest at the moment. Wood has turned into one of the most dangerous forwards in the English Premier League, and the team has climbed into the top three spots.
"This team has endless potential. They are surrounded by a wealth of talent supporting their currently strong striker, as demonstrated by Hudson-Odoi, Aina, and the skillful players they can bring in from the substitutes' bench."
Nottingham Forest achieved their largest win in the Premier League since they triumphed over Coventry City 3-0 in August 1996. Additionally, the Tricky Trees will finish the day ranked in the top three of the league for the first time since September 7, 1998.
It would be shortsighted to consider this a temporary streak of good results. We've witnessed teams like Aston Villa compete against the best for a shot at Champions League football. So, why couldn't Forest be the next team to join that ranks?
They possess all the essential elements and keep delivering strong performances and results against tough competitors.
The upcoming matches against Newcastle and Arsenal will be key in figuring out how good this team can actually become.
Lopetegui: We Must Improve As A Team
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui:
In the second half, we needed to adjust our strategy and figure out how to tackle the game. Had we not conceded the second goal, we might have been able to equalize. It was a challenging night for us.
"We should take this challenging time as an opportunity to elevate ourselves and move ahead. It's important for us to improve our performance and maintain greater consistency."
"This is my job. It's all about maintaining consistency, and that's something we definitely need. We must strive to improve as a team. We have many talented players, and I believe we can achieve even greater things."
"We had opportunities to level the game. Now is the time for us to unite and understand that we can improve our defense. Let's focus on the upcoming challenge ahead."
West Ham's Ongoing Struggles
Patrick Rowe from Sky Sports:
This marked the third time this season that Julen Lopetegui changed his team's formation, reverting back to the 3-4-3 setup he had employed in the 3-0 loss against Chelsea.
At the beginning of the match, it seemed like the trio of Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo, and Konstantinos Mavropanos would successfully contain the well-performing Wood, who had only eight touches in the first 25 minutes.
Shortly after, the Forest forward scored the first goal, and before long, West Ham found themselves down to 10 players, causing the match to slip away from their grasp.
Lopetegui wasted no time after the match in clarifying that the outcome couldn't be blamed only on Alvarez. He emphasized the need for his entire team to improve, insisting that everyone needed to perform better in all areas. He was absolutely correct in his assessment.
West Ham got off to a good start, but their performance fell apart even before they received the red card. To avoid this season ending in a non-descript mid-table finish—or worse—they need to enhance their performance in every aspect of the game.
"Right now, they appear to be a group without clear guidance."
