Wolves earned their first point of the Premier League season following a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.

Chris Wood's towering header was cancelled out by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde's stunning strike as the spoils were shared at the City Ground.

The hosts took the lead in the 10th minute as Wood rose to nod home from Elliot Anderson's corner.

However, the visitors were level just two minutes later in spectacular fashion, with Bellegarde firing a stunning long-range volley into the roof of the net.

Gary O'Neil's side had Sam Johnstone to thank after the break, with the debutant producing a strong hand to deny Wood his second goal of the game.

Matheus Cunha curled a shot just wide while the offside flag denied Wood later on, with Forest unable to snatch victory but extending their unbeaten start to the campaign.

Data Debrief: Wolves end losing streak while Wood matches Collymore

After opening the season with two defeats and eight goals conceded, Wolves stopped the rot with a welcome point against their Midlands rivals, while ending a five-game Premier League losing streak in the process.

Meanwhile, Forest remain unbeaten in their opening three games of a top-flight season for the first time since 1995-96.

Heading his side into the lead, Wood became only the second Forest player to score in both their first two home matches in a Premier League season since Stan Collymore 30 years previously. 

Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has confirmed Danilo suffered a broken ankle during their 1-1 draw with Bournemouth on the opening matchday of the Premier League season.

The 23-year-old sustained the injury just minutes into the new campaign, falling awkwardly following a challenge involving Antoine Semenyo, who scored an 86th-minute equaliser for Bournemouth after Chris Wood put Forest 1-0 up.

The midfielder was treated by medical staff for over eight minutes and Nuno has now confirmed the severity of his injury, saying he will be a big miss for his side.

"It was a horrible moment for everybody. It’s serious, we’re going to miss him, not only on the pitch," Nuno said after the game.

“He’s a wonderful boy. He’s always smiling, always with joy and we wish him all the best.

“I think we have a good squad that allows us to have options coming from the bench, but we are going to miss Danilo because he is a top player.”

While Danilo's injury exacerbated Forest's frustrations as they dropped two points in the dying stages, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola was delighted by the fight shown by his side.

“I am pleased because you score at the end and you feel like you recovered one point," Iraola said to BBC Sport.

"We had the momentum and we were pushing a lot, I could feel the win was close. But unluckily for us we didn’t put it in, we had to live with the point."

Iraola was also encouraged by the fluidity of his forward line in their first match since the club-record sale of striker Dominic Solanke to Tottenham.

He said: "We didn’t have a specific number nine and were changing a lot of times. 

"I think we dealt quite well, right now we have to push and everyone has to adapt to the situation."

Mauricio Pochettino says it would not be "the end of the world" if he were to leave Chelsea at the end of the season.

The Blues have lost just one of their last 12 matches in the Premier League, and they thrashed West Ham 5-0 in their last game to make it four home wins on the bounce.

Chelsea now sit in seventh place with a place in Europe next season within their reach, but rumours continue to spread that Pochettino’s future at the club is not safe.

Pochettino stressed that he wants to be involved in the conversations about the club’s plans at the end of the season, which is when a decision will be made.

He said: "If we are happy, perfect. But it is not only if the owners are happy or the sporting directors happy... You need to ask us also, because maybe [we] say, ‘we are not happy’ and we accept the situation, and we need to split.

“It is not going to be the first time the coaching staff at the end of the season decide to not keep going. But at this end, it is always the opposite way. It is always the owners or the sporting directors.

"If we split it’s not a problem, it will not be the end of the world."

At the other end of the table, Nottingham Forest boosted their survival hopes with a 3-1 win over already-relegated Sheffield United last Saturday to move three points clear of the drop.

With Forest still not safe with two games to go, Nuno Espirito Santo admitted this was his toughest season as a manager so far.

"It’s been hard but I’m repeating myself. Since day one we embraced the challenge," said Nuno.

"There were a lot of things we were not expecting, but we dealt with them in the proper moment and in the right way. With the right attitude and working together, we can overcome the obstacles, and we have had a lot."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nottingham Forest – Chris Wood

Wood has scored more goals than any other Nottingham Forest player in the Premier League this season (12). However, in 11 meetings with Chelsea in the competition, he has never found the back of the net, something he will want to change at the weekend.

Chelsea – Cole Palmer

Palmer has been involved in 30 Premier League goals this season, scoring 21 and assisting nine.

The last Chelsea player to be involved in more was Eden Hazard in 2018-19 (31 – 16G 15A), while 2009-10 was the last time a Blues player scored more in a league campaign (Didier Drogba 29, Frank Lampard 22).

MATCH PREDICTION: CHELSEA WIN

Chelsea have lost just one of their last 12 Premier League games (W6 D5), though they are winless in their last five away from home (D4 L1).

The Blues have won just two of their last 10 away league games against Forest (D4 L4), winning 1-0 in November 1994 and 3-1 in February 1999.

Following their 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge in September, Forest are looking to complete their first league double over Chelsea since 1978-79, when they were reigning top-flight champions under Brian Clough.

Indeed, Forest have only lost their final home league match in one of their six previous Premier League campaigns (W4 D1), doing so against Sheffield United in 1992-93 with a 2-0 defeat that confirmed their relegation.

Chelsea’s Premier League games have seen 129 goals this season (F70 A59), the third most after Sheffield United (135) and Newcastle (134). Only in 2009-10 (135) have the Blues' games produced more goals (F103 A32).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Nottingham Forest – 25.5%

Draw – 27.6%

Chelsea – 46.9%

Nuno Espirito Santo says Nottingham Forest should expect the unexpected from already-relegated Sheffield United when they travel to Bramall Lane on Saturday.

The Tricky Trees are currently on a four-game winless run as they sit just one point clear of the relegation zone, though that could change if Luton Town beat Everton on Friday.

While much focus has been on off-the-field matters, Nuno looked ahead to what he thinks will be a tough game in the fight for Premier League safety.

He said: "You never know [what United will do]. The element of pressure they had before is gone.

"I don't exactly know what Chris [Wilder] is going to do - if he's going to try something for next season. It will be tough. They are relegated, but there will the pride element in front of their fans.

"Looking at the table and the next matches, it's going to be to the end, it won't be solved. We are fortunate we rely on ourselves. We must keep it and after Sheffield, it must still be in our hands."

United’s relegation was confirmed following a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Newcastle United last Saturday.

Despite an 11-game winless run, Wilder was upbeat about his team’s chances of finishing the season on a positive note.

"We have got a massive obligation to our supporters to go out on a high and give them something for the summer to hang on to because they've had nothing to hang on to this season, very few moments," said Wilder.

"We have two massive, fabulous home games. We all understand the connection and the rivalry between ourselves and Forest recently and going back a long time. We all understand that. On and off the pitch as well, I think this stuff.

"Then an away day at Everton. Three big games for us. My attitude and preparation will be there as it has been since we walked through the door. There won't be any 'on the beach' unless the players produce 'on the beach' performances."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

United – Ben Brereton Diaz

Despite only playing 11 Premier League games this season, no United player has had more shots on target than Brereton Diaz (17).

Forest – Chris Wood

Nine of Wood’s 12 Premier League goals this season have either put Nottingham Forest in the lead (four) or drawn them level (five).

MATCH PREDICTION: NOTTINGHAM FOREST WIN

Forest are looking to complete their first league double over United since the 2003-04 campaign when the sides were in the second tier.

Forest have won just one of their last 19 Premier League games against promoted sides (D12 L6), though it was in the reverse fixture against United this season. This will be the second time they have faced an opponent in their first match after being relegated from the Premier League (within the same season), previously beating QPR 3-0 in 1995-96.

Meanwhile, United are just three goals away from becoming the second side in Premier League history to concede 100 goals in a single campaign, after Swindon Town in 1993-94 (100 in 42 games). The Blades would be just the third team to do so in a top-flight season with a maximum of 20 teams, after Darwen in 1891-92 (112 in 26 games) and Leicester in 1908-09 (102 in 38 games).

This is United’s first home Premier League match against Forest since October 1992, a goalless draw at Bramall Lane. They are unbeaten in their last four top-flight home games against Forest (W3 D1) since a 3-1 defeat in August 1967.

Forest have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last 12 Premier League away games. Since beating Newcastle 3-1 in their first game on the road under Nuno, the Tricky Trees are now winless in their last seven (D2 L5).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

United – 26.2%

Draw – 28%

Forest – 45.8%

Morgan Gibbs-White inspired Nottingham Forest to a vital 3-1 victory over Fulham which eased their Premier League relegation concerns.

Gibbs-White put in a virtuoso display in a golden first half which saw Forest cruise into a 3-0 lead.

After setting up Callum Hudson-Odoi’s opener, he watched as Chris Wood made it 2-0 before completing the scoring with a fine finish on the stroke of half-time.

That sublime opening 45 minutes laid the foundations for just a second league win of 2024 for Forest and the first since they were deducted four points for breaking the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules last month.

That opened up a three-point gap over Luton, who occupy 18th position and visit title-chasing Arsenal on Wednesday night.

Forest had to endure a nervy time as Tosin Adarabioyo’s header gave Fulham a lifeline and the visitors spent most of the second half knocking on the door.

The Cottagers needed a late comeback to earn a point at bottom-placed Sheffield United on Saturday but they could not repeat the feat here as they paid the price for a shambolic opening half-hour.

Forest made a flying start by going ahead in the ninth minute.

A fine turn from Gibbs-White created space for himself and he set Hudson-Odoi away with an audacious outside-of-the-boot pass.

The former Chelsea winger did the rest, advancing into the penalty area before cutting inside and firing into the bottom corner.

Gibbs-White was in the mood and he almost laid on a second for Hudson-Odoi with another fine piece of skill, making a fool out of Tosin, but his team-mate could not finish as Bernd Leno came out well to block.

Leno will not want to see replays of the moment Forest did double their lead in the 19th minute.

Wood received the ball with his back to goal 25 yards out, turned and seeing Leno take several steps to his left, planted a shot into the opposite corner, which was totally unguarded.

The hosts were electric and should have been 3-0 up soon after but Anthony Elanga clipped the post after a one-two with the vibrant Gibbs-White.

Fulham boss Marco Silva had seen enough and made a triple substitution after 33 minutes.

Alex Iwobi, Sasa Lukic and Harry Wilson were hauled off for Tom Cairney, Adama Traore and Willian, but the changes did not stem the tide.

Forest capped off a golden 45 minutes with another brilliant goal in first half added time as Gibbs-White played a one-two with Danilo and slotted home into the bottom corner.

What a difference 15 minutes can make as Fulham came out after the break and immediately gave themselves hope.

Tosin climbed highest from Andreas Pereira’s corner and glanced a looping header into the far post.

Willian and Cairney both had shots blocked as the visitors continued to push, but Forest came within inches of killing the game as Neco Williams cut inside and saw a deflected effort crash off the crossbar.

They needed that to go in as Fulham continued to push with Tosin denied by a fine save from Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels, with Kenny Tete heading the resulting corner against the crossbar.

Willian was a whisker away with a curling effort and Traore thundered a shot into the post, but Forest held on for a seismic victory.

Nuno Espirito Santo has told his Nottingham Forest players they must keep building after the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace moved them out of the relegation zone.

Chris Wood’s 61st-minute equaliser cancelled out Jean-Philippe Mateta’s early goal for Palace and saw Forest move level with Luton on goal difference.

It was Forest’s first match since the Premier League docked them four points for breaching financial rules, plunging them into the bottom three.

Forest were flat for much of the first half but Palace failed to build on Mateta’s early strike, much to the frustration of Oliver Glasner, and in the final 20 minutes both sides had chances to win it.

“I think we did enough in the game to achieve another result but the game was not easy and it started bad for us,” Nuno said.

“When you have the expectations of ‘let’s go’ and you concede first, the team shakes and it was not what we wanted.

“But, overall, I think we were dominant and were in control. We had good moments. We produced a better second half – more pace and we were more aggressive.

“It is not easy to play against Crystal Palace because of the shape they have – the spaces, the gaps and the pockets are not there.

“Once again the team showed character. We are out of the relegation zone and we want to capitalise on this for the next one because we definitely need to climb up the table.”

Forest have launched an appeal against their punishment and before the game fans in the Trent End unveiled a banner which read ‘We shall fight and we shall overcome’.

But tension grew in the stands after Forest fell behind and it was not until the second half that the home side found their rhythm.

“It is very tight,” Nuno said of the relegation fight. “There are some teams still involved in that fight. We have to focus on ourselves.

“This point is good as long as we do something against Fulham (at home on Tuesday) and it’s going to be tough.”

Palace had looked ready to capitalise on Forest’s predicament as Mateta scored with their first real opportunity and Eberechi Eze had opportunities to add to the lead before the break.

They also hit a post in the 87th minute when Eze’s corner deflected off Neco Williams but they could not secure three points that would have all-but assured them of safety.

“It feels like two lost points,” Glasner said. “We had enough chances and we created them brilliantly in different situations, compliments to my staff, the set=pieces were brilliant and always dangerous.

“In some phases of the game we were under pressure and they have the quality to score a goal.

“We know Wood is a fantastic player in the box and in this situation we did not get enough pressure on the ball and we had some phases where we were not confident enough on the ball.

“The first (thing) is always to create chances. It’s not too easy here…they’re very good at home and creating so many chances gives me a lot of confidence for the next weeks and the players did fight until the end of the game.

“At the end what counts is the result. We have to accept it and respect it and I was told a point away from home in the Premier League is good so we have to accept it.”

Chris Wood scored his seventh goal in eight league games as Nottingham Forest moved back out of the relegation zone with a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace.

In their first match since being docked four points by the Premier League for breaching profit and sustainability rules, Forest needed a 61st-minute equaliser from their in-form forward to cancel out Jean-Philippe Mateta’s early strike for the visitors.

Having been plunged into the bottom three following the points deduction, Forest climbed to 17th place on goal difference after Luton fell to defeat at Tottenham.

Forest have this week launched an appeal against their punishment but there was little by way of a rousing response from the players until the second half and they still have only one win from their last 10 league matches.

Before kick-off fans in the Trent End unveiled a large banner which read ‘We shall fight and we shall overcome’ but the spirit in the stands was not matched by the performance on the pitch in the opening 45 minutes and Palace scored with their first real attack just 11 minutes in.

Jefferson Lerma intercepted a loose ball and then played a slide-rule pass to Eberechi Eze, who laid the ball off for Mateta to power in his third goal in his last four appearances, leaving Matz Sels with no chance as he found the top corner.

Three minutes later the lively Eze tried his luck with a free-kick from deep on the left, with Sels taking no chances as he tipped it over at the far post.

Forest had plenty of the ball but no final delivery as Palace, seeking a win which would edge them towards safety, were happy to drop deep, getting all 11 players behind the ball.

There was no service for the returning Wood as Forest failed to test their former goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who replaced the injured Sam Johnstone for Palace.

Seven minutes before half-time Oliver Glasner’s side should have doubled their lead when Adam Wharton’s threaded pass from deep sent Eze through on goal but Sels was out quickly to smother the shot.

Nuno Espirito Santo sent on Anthony Elanga for Ibrahim Sangare at the break but again it was Palace who were quick to threaten, with Eze bending an effort wide after being played in by Wharton following a short corner.

When Callum Hudson-Odoi cut in from the left in the 52nd minute his shot was easy enough for Henderson to punch clear but Forest were starting to find some encouragement and drew level just after the hour.

Morgan Gibbs-White floated a ball in from the left and Wood, with his back to goal, did well to twist and flick a header over Henderson and into the far corner of the net.

Having sat deep for so long Palace tried to up the intensity and Wharton shot wastefully over before Eze brought a good save out of Sels after beating several defenders in a run across the box.

The game went from end to end and in the 74th minute Hudson-Odoi picked out substitute Gio Reyna, who made space for himself before hitting a powerful shot that Henderson parried and Gibbs-White then sent a shot over the bar.

Palace were inches away from a late winner when Neco Williams turned Eze’s corner against his own post in the 87th minute but a draw felt like a fair result in the end.

Rob Edwards promised Luton would continue to fight for their Premier League lives after Luke Berry’s late goal salvaged a 1-1 draw against fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest at the end of a “challenging week”.

After watching his side throw away a three-goal half-time lead against Bournemouth in midweek to lose, the 41-year-old was facing a six-point gap to Forest opening up in his team’s bid to dodge relegation, following Chris Wood’s neat first-half finish.

Instead they rallied and hit back in the 89th minute though substitute Berry, pouncing to lash home from Reece Burke’s header, as Luton kept within three points of the visitors, who themselves were denied what would have been just a second league win of 2024.

“The way the game was going, really pleased in the end,” said Edwards. “It’s been a challenging week, to say the least.

“Everyone’s going through stuff, everyone gets knocked down, everyone gets disappointments. It’s about how you deal with it, how you react. This group has shown that is how you react.

“They’ve got so much character. No matter what is thrown at us, they’ll keep going. It doesn’t mean we’re always going to get points. We’re not always going to play well. But they’ll always keep going and keep fighting. I love them for that.”

Berry has now scored in all four divisions of the EFL for Luton since making his debut in League Two in 2017.

He also netted in the National League whilst at Cambridge, giving him the rare distinction of having scored in each of England’s top five leagues.

The 31-year-old came on for Jordan Clark with five minutes of the game to go, to make only his sixth appearance in the league this season.

Luton are facing an injury crisis with nine players unavailable to Edwards from the start, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu and Alfie Doughty also having to be withdrawn with knocks.

“It’s a brilliant story, to score in all five,” said Edwards of Berry’s feat. “Special moment for him, for the club. He’s a club legend with what he’s done for this club.

“He’s come on quite a lot this year, maybe eight times or so. He’s been close on a number of occasions to something. We’re thankful today that in an important game, he finished it really well.

“It’s difficult for us with a full group to be competitive in this league, never mind with what we’re missing at the moment.

“I love the group that are available and fit at the moment, but to have nine senior players out and two more go down today, it’s difficult for us. There are so many people playing out of position.”

Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo reflected on a game that his team should have wrapped up before Luton’s late fightback.

“I think we dominated the game, we controlled it,” he said. “We knew how hard it is to come here. We created a lot of chances.

“Credit to Luton, but we should have finished the game earlier with the chances that we had.

“I’m disappointed because I think we did enough to take three points today. Let’s wait and see what’s going to happen. We keep on going, keep on fighting. We’ll look at the table. Nine games to go, nine finals to play.

“There’s a lot of football to be played. No team can say they’re totally fine.”

Luton salvaged a critical point in their bid for Premier League survival as substitute Luke Berry struck in the 89th minute to rescue a 1-1 draw against fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest at Kenilworth Road.

Rob Edwards’ side were facing slipping six points behind Forest, staring down defeat near the end of a cagey, nervous game that looked to have been settled by Chris Wood’s first-half goal for the visitors, brilliantly set up by Morgan Gibbs-White.

After capitulating when 3-0 up against Bournemouth on Wednesday, Luton were in dire need of a psychological uplift and it duly arrived in the final moments.

Reece Burke headed the ball goalwards from a corner and there responding quickest to lash it home from inside the six-yard box was Berry to keep Forest looking nervously over their shoulder in the table.

Luton had made by far the stronger start. Three times in the opening 15 minutes Ross Barkley tried his luck from range, the first two efforts requiring saves from goalkeeper Matz Sels before a third whistled by his left-hand post.

After the pain of defeat at the Vitality Stadium, it was a dominant start during which Luton rarely allowed Forest to advance out of their own half.

The visitors did eventually get a grip and carve out two chances of their own. Divock Origi dashed through and attempted a chipped finish over Thomas Kaminski but failed to apply the requisite power, before Willy Boly glanced a header wide from a free-kick when firmer contact was needed.

Forest were increasingly a threat. They should have led on the half-hour mark but for a sensational sliding clearance off the line from Burke to deny Origi. It would be a momentary reprieve.

They took a deserved lead soon after and it owed much to the vision and delivery of Gibbs-White. Neco Williams – quiet until this point – picked him out after finding space with the ball on the right, but there was much work still to do.

Gibbs-White did it with aplomb, taking a touch with his right foot, turning and chipping it up for Wood to meet with a long, hanging right leg to nudge Forest in front.

Williams might have undone his team-mates’ fine work had his clearance from Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu’s cross not cleared the crossbar by a fraction. From the corner, Teden Mengi muscled the ball into the net but was rightly denied an equaliser by a handball decision.

Defeat for freefalling Luton would be their sixth in seven in the league. They had not won since beating Brighton late in January and things threatened to get worse for them after the break.

Anthony Elanga linked with Origi and rocketed through on goal, dinking the ball just beyond Kaminski, who got the faintest yet critical touch. There to deny him with a heroic clearance from the goal line was Mengi, a stunning intervention to keep Luton fighting.

Edwards needed a strong finish from his side, but as the second half rolled on there seemed little sign it would come. Forest were comfortable, the early harrying with which Luton had tormented them doused by tired legs and tired minds.

There were the odd signs of life. Jordan Clark never gave up down the right, running hard with and without the ball, determined not let his team go down easy. Barkley, quieter after some early creative energy, always looked like he could reignite at any moment.

Then with time almost up and all hope with it, Burke headed on at a corner and Berry whacked the ball in to salvage a point.

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo insists his players will not hide as they face up to a tough winter.

Forest, already battling to avoid being sucked into a relegation battle, were plunged into further difficulties earlier this week as they were charged with breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations.

Nuno was pleased with the spirit shown as Forest saw off a Blackpool fightback to edge into the FA Cup fourth round with a 3-2 win after extra time of a tricky replay at Bloomfield Road on Wednesday.

Forest had gone into the game against the League One side without a host of players due to Africa Cup of Nations call-ups – of which the club have six – and injuries.

“The boys were ready,” said Nuno. “We cannot hide ourselves. Everybody can see we are short of options, especially offensive options.

“We are very short, we have a lot of players out, but the group is showing that with the help of everybody we’ll manage this tough period.”

Forest, who had to fight back from 2-0 down at the City Ground to force the replay, this time looked in control as they opened up a two-goal lead with strikes from debutant Andrew Omobamidele and Danilo.

This time it was the Seasiders who responded with goals from Albie Morgan and substitute Kyle Joseph and they could have won it when Karamoko Dembele spurned a good chance in stoppage time.

Chris Wood eventually settled the tie in the second period of extra time and Forest will now travel to Bristol City in the next round.

Nuno’s immediate thoughts now turn to Saturday’s league trip to Brentford but he would relish a good cup run.

The Portuguese said: “Every game is important. Now we have to prepare for Brentford. It’s going to be a tough one, especially after the effort of the players here and the lack of numbers that offensively we have.

“But we’re going to face every game and the cup – I’m not the only one to say it’s very special. We have to go for it.”

Nuno confirmed that midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White missed the game at Blackpool with an abdominal issue which could sideline him for a fortnight.

“The first diagnosis that we have is a couple of weeks,” he said. “We miss him because he was in a very good moment for us.”

Hat-trick hero Chris Wood has warned Nottingham Forest their Boxing Day triumph at Newcastle will count for nothing unless they build upon it.

Forest dragged themselves into 16th place in the Premier League table with a superb 3-1 victory at St James’ Park, but they remain only two points clear of the relegation zone heading into Saturday’s mouth-watering home clash with Manchester United.

Wood’s treble capped an impressive display and handed new boss Nuno Espirito Santo a first win in his second game at the helm, but the 32-year-old New Zealand international knows it can only be considered a start.

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nottingham Forest (@officialnffc)

He told Forest TV: “It’s most definitely a step in the right direction. I would never say ‘turned a corner’ because it is only one game and we need to remember than one game doesn’t make four or five.

 

“We need to work ahead and it’s not going to guarantee that we’re going to play well in the next game. We have to make sure we play well in the next game. It’s only on us as players and staff – and the fans getting behind us, that really helps.

“But I’m sure it will be bouncing, the City Ground, come the 30th.”

Forest showed real character as well as flair and deadly finishing on Tyneside as they fought back from Alexander Isak’s 23rd-minute penalty to level when Wood tapped home from the impressive Anthony Elanga’s pinpoint cross.

The frontman, who left Newcastle for the City Ground during the summer, then produced two deft finishes to make the most of defence-splitting passes from first Elanga and then defender Murillo and wrap up the win.

He said: “Look, we know Newcastle are a a top, top side – I know it first had – and we knew coming here was going to be very tough. They’re a good side, good players.

“They weren’t in the Champions league for no reason and they’re not near the top of the league for no reason because they are a good side.

“We just had to keep working on what we could do. We took risks, we took chances – sometimes they paid off, and sometimes they didn’t and we got caught. But that’s the type of football we wanted to play, that’s what we were given the license to try to do, and thankfully it worked.”

Wood admitted his second Premier League hat-trick – his first came for Burnley in a 4-0 win at Wolves in April 2021 – prompted some mixed feelings, but was no less welcome as a result.

He said: “It is bittersweet, but it’s fantastic. I’m obviously over the moon with the performance of the lads and the goals and the three points, most importantly.

“It was an interesting place to come back to. I really enjoyed my time up here, I’ve got a lot of close friends up here and things like that. It’s bittersweet, but I’m definitely going to take it.”

Eddie Howe has warned his Newcastle players that no-one is guaranteed a place in his team as he attempts to turn around an alarming slump in form.

Boxing Day’s humbling 3-1 home defeat by Nottingham Forest was the Magpies’ sixth in seven games in all competitions, a run during which their first Champions League adventure in two decades has drawn to a close and hopes of a second successive Carabao Cup final appearance have gone up in smoke.

Head coach Howe hopes to have more of his injured troops back to assist those who have been wearied by a schedule which brought 10 games in 30 days during December and he will have no qualms about shaking things up, with the January transfer window also just days away.

He said: “I’ll be prepared to make any change that I think can benefit either the performance or the result and of course players are accountable for what they deliver.

“No amount of credit in the bank is big enough, you have to earn everything you get from the game. I’m a firm believer in that, so players know they have to perform and we have to change our short-term form for sure.”

Tuesday’s defeat, which ended a run of seven consecutive Premier League wins at St James’ Park, was all the more painful in that it arrived three days after a 1-0 reverse at Luton and courtesy of a rare hat-trick from former Newcastle striker Chris Wood.

More worryingly, it further damaged the prospects of repeating last season’s top-four Premier League finish and the rewards it would bring, and with fixtures against high-flying Liverpool, Manchester City and Aston Villa to come either side of an FA Cup trip to Sunderland, alarm bells are ringing in some quarters.

Howe, who has presided over a remarkable rise on Tyneside since taking up the reins in November 2021, remains calm and retains the support of the club’s Saudi-backed hierarchy, and his response will be to attempt to address his team’s ongoing issues on the training pitch, something for which he has had precious little time in recent weeks.

He said: “The difficulty for the players that have played the majority of the minutes in recent weeks has been they just haven’t been on the grass.

“They have been in between games, of course, resting and then building up for another game three days later, and possibly we’ve suffered from not having that training ground time.

“That’s the schedule, we knew that that was going to be the case, but I just think that our inability to rotate the team has maybe caught up with us in that respect.”

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nottingham Forest (@officialnffc)

 

A maiden victory for new Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo extended his record against Newcastle from his days at Wolves and Tottenham to eight games without defeat.

He said: “I didn’t realise that. But more than my individual situation, today was a huge, huge, huge moment for us because I’ve just been told at St James’ Park for the last two seasons who were the teams that achieved good results here, and there are not too many so Forest did very well.”

Chris Wood retuned to haunt Newcastle with a stunning hat-trick as Nottingham Forest handed new boss Nuno Espirito Santo the first Premier League victory of his reign.

Wood, who joined Forest from the Magpies in January, produced two fine second-half finishes to secure a 3-1 comeback success at St James’ Park.

Newcastle went ahead through Alexander Isak’s 23rd-minute penalty but slipped to a sixth defeat in seven games in all competitions after Wood tapped home Anthony Elanga’s cross just before the break and went on to complete his treble in style.

Forest remain two points above the relegation zone after 18th-placed Luton pulled off a 3-2 success at bottom club Sheffield United thanks to two late own goals.

Blades pair Jack Robinson and Anis Ben Slimane each turned the ball into their own goal during the final 14 minutes of a chaotic clash at Bramall Lane.

Chris Wilder’s hosts had looked set for a vital three points after second-half strikes from Oli McBurnie and Anel Ahmedhodzic overturned Alfie Doughty’s 17th-minute opener.

In-form Bournemouth continued their remarkable resurgence by moving into the top half of the table thanks to a thumping 3-0 victory over Fulham.

Justin Kluivert put the Cherries ahead just before half-time at Vitality Stadium before Dominic Solanke’s eighth goal in seven games – a penalty after Joao Palhinha brought down Antoine Semenyo – doubled the lead.

Substitute Luis Sinisterra sealed an emphatic success late on as Andoni Iraola’s hosts made it 19 points from the last 21 available.

Chris Wood climbed off the bench to score an 89th-minute winner as Nottingham Forest got their Premier League season up and running with a 2-1 victory over Sheffield United.

Forest looked like being held by the Blades after Taiwo Awoniyi’s third-minute opener was cancelled out by Gus Hamer’s delightful strike shortly after half-time.

But after Steve Cooper’s men had laboured in the second half, Wood, whose loan move from Newcastle was made permanent in the summer, came up with the goods near the end when he headed home.

It ensured Forest won their first points of the season after defeat at Arsenal last week while the Blades have lost their opening two games on their return to the top flight after two seasons away.

The Blades may feel hard done by as, after overcoming a chastening first 30 minutes, they competed well and had chances to have gone in front when the score was 1-1.

The City Ground was vital in earning Forest most of the points that led them to safety last season and their home form is going to be important again considering their first four away games are against the Gunners, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Manchester City.

And they made a flying start by taking the lead inside the opening three minutes.

Brennan Johnson teed up Serge Aurier on the right and the defender sent in a perfect cross for Awoniyi to power home a header from six yards.

Forest were completely dominant and looked a constant threat in the opening half-hour.

Awoniyi almost had another but Anel Ahmedhodzic intercepted at the far post, with the pace and power of the Nigeria striker causing the visiting defence problems.

He thought he should have had a penalty when he burst through and went down after tangling with Ahmedhodzic, but referee Peter Bankes waved away protests.

The Blades began to enjoy some encouraging moments towards the end of the first half as Vinicius Souza’s curling effort from 20 yards was saved by Matt Turner while other promising opportunities were ended by a poor last ball.

They started the second half on the front foot and were level in the 48th minute as debutant Hamer introduced himself in style following his arrival last week.

Forest could not clear a corner properly and it fell to the former Coventry man 20 yards out and he sent a delicious curling effort into the top corner to send the visiting fans wild.

The Blades were rampant and almost took the lead when Souza hit a first-time effort just wide.

Forest had to weather the storm but they still carried a threat on the break, with the pace of Awoniyi causing problems.

He looked to have regained the lead in the 55th minute when he raced clear and dinked home, but the flag went up as he was well offside.

That did at least turn the tide and it was the hosts that were looking more dangerous.

But some schoolboy defending from Joe Worrall and Scott McKenna, who collided with each other, handed the Blades a great chance to go in front. Benie Traore raced through but Turner got down brilliantly to keep out a low effort.

Forest got their reward late on when Wood, who had come on for Awoniyi, headed home another pinpoint Aurier cross from the right.

Manchester City missed the chance to return to the Premier League summit as Chris Wood's late goal secured a 1-1 draw for Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola's men had been usurped after Arsenal's last-gasp win over Aston Villa earlier in the day, but they looked set to reclaim top spot thanks to Bernardo Silva's sumptuous first-half strike.

City wasted a host of glorious opportunities to extend their lead in the second half, with Erling Haaland guilty of one particularly glaring miss, and they were duly punished late on.

Substitute Wood popped up at the back post to score his first goal for the club to punish City's profligacy and hand Arsenal the advantage in the title race.

Page 1 of 2
© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.