January 19, (THEWILL) – Nottingham Forest climbed level on points with second-placed Arsenal in the English Premier League following a 3-2 victory over Southampton at the City Ground.
The result continued Forest’s impressive momentum under manager Nuno Espírito Santo.
Forest dominated the opening exchanges, taking the lead through Elliot Anderson’s first goal for the club.
The midfielder struck from distance in the 11th minute, sending a low drive beyond Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale to establish Forest’s early control.
The home side doubled their advantage when Callum Hudson-Odoi punished Jan Bednarek’s defensive mistake, finishing clinically into the bottom corner.
Chris Wood added a third before half-time, meeting Ola Aina’s cross with a precise header for his 14th league goal this season.
Southampton mounted a response in the second period, with Bednarek finding the net to reduce Forest’s lead.
The visitors’ hopes of a comeback were briefly dampened when Nikola Milenkovic’s header was disallowed due to Wood being in an offside position.
Paul Onuachu provided late drama, rising highest to convert Mateus Fernandes’ corner, setting up an intense finish to the match.
However, Forest maintained their composure through the closing minutes to preserve their victory.
The result extends Forest’s unbeaten run to nine matches across all competitions, while Southampton manager Ivan Juric faces the unwanted distinction of becoming the first permanent Saints manager to lose his opening five league matches.
The defeat leaves Southampton rooted to the bottom of the table, while Forest continues their remarkable ascent.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
