Alious
When Nuno Espírito Santo was appointed as Nottingham Forest’s head coach in December, the prospects of Chris Wood becoming a club legend and the team securing a top-six Premier League position seemed improbable. However, less than a year later, both scenarios have materialized, with Wood scoring his ninth goal of the season to defeat Ipswich.
Under Steve Cooper, Wood was predominantly a substitute, but Nuno quickly transformed him into a key player. The striker has repaid his manager’s faith by consistently finding the net, ultimately becoming the club’s joint-top Premier League goalscorer alongside Bryan Roy.
Following two consecutive defeats, Nuno implemented significant changes to reinvigorate the team. He made five alterations to the lineup after the Arsenal loss, with Jota Silva making his Premier League debut. Silva immediately demonstrated the energy and dynamism Nuno sought, winning a corner within moments of kick-off and provoking a booking from Axel Tuanzebe during a counterattack.
Forest dominated the initial quarter of the match, maintaining threatening possession but struggling to test goalkeeper Arijanet Muric. Conversely, Ipswich nearly scored when Cameron Burgess’ corner was dramatically cleared off the line by Ola Aina.
Ipswich employed tactical disruption, deliberately slowing the game’s tempo through strategic time-wasting and unnecessary medical interventions. This approach helped stabilize their performance, and they came close to scoring when Liam Delap intervened to prevent Conor Chaplin from converting a potential opportunity.
The breakthrough came through Jota’s dynamic play, earning a somewhat contentious penalty. Wood confidently dispatched the spot-kick down the middle, despite minimal contact between Jota and Sammie Szmodics. Match official Tony Harrington and the VAR were satisfied with the decision.
Muric produced a spectacular save, tipping Murillo’s close-range header onto the crossbar and preventing Forest from extending their lead. Set pieces continued to trouble Ipswich, with Elliot Anderson nearly scoring directly from a corner and Burgess blocking Jota’s subsequent attempt.
Ipswich struggled to penetrate Forest’s defense, with highly-rated striker Delap effectively neutralized by Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo. Despite increasing pressure as they chased an equalizer, their efforts proved futile. Jack Clarke’s late substitute appearance yielded only a weak shot directly at Sels, ultimately leaving Ipswich in the relegation zone and allowing Forest to resume their positive momentum.
Alious
