Nottingham Forest edged past Southampton 3-2 to move level on points with second-placed Arsenal in the Premier League table.
TV Info - Broadcasters
Elliot Anderson and Callum Hudson-Odoi struck with shots from distance before Chris Wood’s header put Forest in control at the break.
However, the visitors pulled one back through Jan Bednarek on the hour-mark before Nikola Milenkovic’s goal was overturned by VAR after Wood was deemed to have interfered with play from an offside position.
Southampton’s much-improved display saw them denied by fine Matz Sels saves before Paul Onuachu set up a nervy finish in stoppage time, but Forest were able to hold on.
Forest sit third on goal difference after matching Arsenal on 44 points while bottom side Southampton remain on six points, 10 behind 17th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
21 | +30 | 50 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
22 | +22 | 44 |
| 3 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
22 | +11 | 44 |
| 4 |
Man City
MCI
|
22 | +15 | 38 |
How the match unfolded
The hosts made a quick start as Morgan Gibbs-White sent Anderson away with a brilliant backheel pass before the 22-year-old planted a low shot into the bottom corner from 25 yards for his first-ever Premier League goal 11 minutes in.
Bednarek's heavy touch, under pressure from Wood, then allowed Hudson-Odoi to double the lead in the 28th minute as another long-range strike got the better of Aaron Ramsdale.
Wood’s 14th goal of the season, a well-placed header from an Ola Aina cross, put Forest further ahead just before the break as the hosts raced into a comfortable half-time lead.
Southampton bagged a surprise goal when substitute Lesley Ugochukwu’s shot from distance was flicked up and over Sels by Bednarek before Milenkovic’s header at the other end four minutes later was overturned following a VAR review.
Sels ensured Forest retained their advantage, though was beaten when Onuachu headed home his first Premier League goal in the first minute of stoppage time as Southampton threatened to rescue an improbable draw, before Aina cleared a Bednarek header off the line to preserve Forest’s three points.
Forest cling on for victory
Forest went toe-to-toe with Premier League leaders Liverpool in a pulsating 1-1 draw at the City Ground on Tuesday to underline their lofty ambitions this season.
But they made things difficult for themselves against a struggling Southampton at the same venue five days later, despite only making one change to their starting line-up, having to dig deep to hold on for a hard-fought victory.
Wood proved unstoppable yet again for Nuno’s side, scoring for the fourth consecutive league fixture, but some wasteful finishing almost cost them dearly here.
Ramsdale did well to deny Anthony Elanga from close range in the 55th minute before Bednarek cleared Gibbs-White’s follow-up effort off the line, while Wood also failed to turn home from six yards out after Jota Silva knocked a header across the goal in the 73rd minute.
In the end, it was some good defensive work from Murillo, Milenkovic and Aina that ensured a precious win for the hosts.
Familiar problems for Saints
After a fighting display against Manchester United at Old Trafford where they conceded three goals in 12 minutes to lose 3-1, Southampton would have expected to build on the positives at the City Ground.
But Saints boss Ivan Juric was seething on the touchline only 11 minutes in, as his defence applied little pressure on Anderson and were punished for it.
As has been the case for much of the season, it was another individual error, this time from Bednarek, that led to the home side’s second goal, with less than half an hour played.
It looked like it was all over for the visitors when Wood headed home a third before the break, but Juric’s side returned for the second half with renewed vigour.
Though there were glimpses of their midweek display after the interval here as they ran Forest close every inch of the way, it is still a fifth straight league defeat for Juric since first taking charge of the strugglers in a 1-0 defeat to West Ham United on Boxing Day.
He now has his work cut out to help his players sustain displays like the one in the second half for longer spells as another of the Premier League's high-flying sides, Newcastle United, visit St Mary's Stadium on Saturday.
Club reports
Forest report | Southampton report
What the managers said
Nuno Espirito Santo: "This a very tough league. The second half, we started really well and controlled the game but then there was the deflection and stoppages. The game didn't flow and that did not help us."
Ivan Juric: "There are a lot of things in these two games that are positive but I can work and improve the team."
Next PL fixtures
Key facts
Forest are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League matches (W7 D1) – their longest streak in the competition since November 1995 (run of 25). Meanwhile, their 44 points from their opening 22 matches is their second-highest tally at this stage of a top-flight season (assuming three points for a win), behind only 1977/78 (49 points).
Only three sides in English Football League history have had fewer points from their first 22 matches of a league season (assuming three pts/win) than Southampton this season (six), while their tally is the lowest by any side since 1975/76, when Sheffield United (top flight) and Southport (fourth tier) also both had six.
In their 22 Premier League matches this season, Nottingham Forest have scored the opening goal in 18 of them. Across the competition's history, only Manchester City, in 2011/12 and 2018/19, have ever done so more in the opening 22 matches of a campaign (both 19).
Southampton have made 17 errors leading to goals in the Premier League this season, with only Tottenham Hotspur in 2013/14, with 21. making more across a single campaign in the competition on record (since 2012/13).
