Premier League 2024-25: Nottingham Forest beats 3-2 Southampton to continue purple patch
Premier League 2024-25: Nottingham Forest beats 3-2 Southampton to continue purple patch
Nottingham Forest’s remarkable campaign continued with a 3-2 win over struggling Southampton on Sunday but it had to survive a late onslaught before securing the win to move level on points with second-placed Arsenal in the Premier League standings.
The victory put third-placed Forest on 44 points, six points off leader Liverpool which has a game in hand, while Southampton remains rooted to the bottom with six points.
Forest was patient in its build-up play and three shots on target in the first half led to three goals, with Saints mostly having no answers to a dominant display, although the home side almost let its commanding lead slip late on.
In the 10th minute, Morgan Gibbs-White flicked a pass on to Elliot Anderson, who drove forward unchallenged before steering his shot low inside the near post from just outside the area.
A heavy first touch from Southampton defender Jan Bednarek close to his own area allowed Chris Wood to steal possession and Forest was in for its second 17 minutes later.
The ball fell to Callum Hudson-Odoi and the Forest man had time to make room before letting fly from outside the box and watch his shot sailed past goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Four minutes before the break the game looked over as a contest. Wood played a pass out wide to Ola Aina who floated the ball into the box and the New Zealand striker was there to meet the cross and power his header to the net.
Forest was cruising when Southampton pulled one back from nowhere on the hour mark, with Lesley Ugochukwu’s shot taking a wicked deflection off the foot of teammate Bednarek which took the ball looping over keeper Matz Sels and under the crossbar.
Saints continued to push as Joe Aribo and Paul Onuachu forcing saves from Sels and with 12 minutes of added time awarded, the visitors sensed they were still in with a chance.
Onuachu then powered home a header from a corner and suddenly Southampton was all over Forest, with the home side having Ola Aina to thank when he hooked clear a Bednarek header with Sels beaten as it held on to take all three points.
Forest stretched its unbeaten run to eight league games, only dropping points in that period in a 1-1 home draw with Liverpool in midweek, while Southampton manager Ivan Juric has now lost all five league matches since taking over in December.
