Nottingham Forest's 3-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night moved Nuno Espirito Santo's side six points behind leaders Liverpool, but striker Chris Wood says that it is "too early" to talk about a title challenge.
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Goals from Morgan Gibbs-White, Wood and substitute Taiwo Awoniyi ensured a SIXTH consecutive Premier League victory for Forest, the longest winning run any team have managed this season.
Monday's result also took Forest to the 40-point mark - the total that Leicester City reached at the same stage of the season in their historic 2015/16 title-winning campaign.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
19 | +28 | 46 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
20 | +21 | 40 |
| 3 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
20 | +10 | 40 |
| 4 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
20 | +15 | 36 |
Even so, Wood insists that title talk at this stage of the season is premature.
"Well and truly way too early to talk about that [a title challenge]. Not thinking anything like that," he told Sky Sports.
"It's about consistency, and doing what we've been doing well already this season, not letting up. We need to keep doing what we've been doing and what has been so good in the first 19 games."
'This is what football is all about'
However Michael Owen, a Premier League title-winner with Manchester United in 2010/11, says that Forest should have every reason to keep dreaming that they can match Leicester's feat.
"Absolutely, why not? That's what football is all about." said Owen. "I was thinking, can they hang on to a European spot, but as soon as you said Leicester, same points, I started thinking, can they? No, surely.
"Next game is Liverpool... imagine they beat Liverpool? All of a sudden those questions will be getting asked thick and fast. At the moment it is still a pipedream and if you offered Nuno fourth he'd snap your hands off. There's nobody doing as well as Nottingham Forest compared to expectations."
Former Forest manager Martin O'Neill, twice a European Cup winner at the City Ground, shared Owen's optimism.
"European spaces are definitely on the cards and before tonight I thought this would be a difficult game for them, and it could've proved so in the first half, but overall it's another win away from home," said O'Neill.
"Forty points on the board so that's two points per game, that's big and that's Champions League form."
WWWWWWonderful. pic.twitter.com/kcbuJfEN3m
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) January 6, 2025
'We must stay calm and stay humble'
Goalscorer Gibbs-White, whose fourth goal of the season set Forest on their way to victory at Wolves, believes that it would be "incredible" if his side secured a UEFA Champions League spot next season.
"It would be absolutely incredible," said Gibbs-White. "There will be a few fans who might be able to experience it [European football] twice.
"To be able to give them that opportunity again is what we really want to do as a club. The owner believes in it, we believe in it. We just have to take it game by game and not get ahead of ourselves, stay calm and stay humble."
Forest are next in action in the FA Cup third-round at home to Luton Town on Saturday before hosting Liverpool on Tuesday 14 January, when a win could move Nuno's side three points behind the leaders.
"We are taking each training session and each opponent as it comes," added Gibbs-White. "There is a lot of belief in the group, there is a lot of belief in the fans. There is high expectation from the fans and that's what strives us on.
"We have to take it game by game and see where it gets us."
