Alious
Nottingham Forest’s remarkable ascent to fourth place in the Premier League, highlighted by their victory over Aston Villa at the City Ground, has defied pre-season expectations.
Their current position among the elite – trailing only Liverpool (36 points), Chelsea (34 points), and Arsenal (30 points) with 28 points from 16 matches – has forced several prominent pundits to reassess their predictions, including Gary Lineker and Jamie Carragher, who initially tipped Forest for relegation.
However, despite their impressive start, the club appears keen to strengthen during the January transfer window.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has suggested that owner Evangelos Marinakis’ enthusiasm for transfer market activity is likely to continue, though he notes that Forest typically conducts their business late in the window when opportunities arise.
One such opportunity could be revisiting their interest in Santiago Gimenez, who has become available.
The statistical analysis of Forest’s attacking output suggests room for improvement despite their lofty league position.
They rank 13th in goals per match (1.3) and shots on target per match (4.6), while their expected goals (xG) of 20.3 places them 15th in the league.
They’ve created only 34 big chances, ranking 14th in that category. While Chris Wood’s clinical finishing has been crucial to their success – earning him contract extension talks – these statistics highlight a potential vulnerability should his form decline.
This data suggests that Nuno Espirito Santo might benefit from adding a forward with a higher shot volume to complement Wood’s efficient approach. Such reinforcement could help sustain Forest’s unexpected push for European qualification, ensuring they don’t become overly dependent on Wood’s current rich vein of form.
Alious
