Wolves 0 – 3 n forest

Nottingham Forest recorded their sixth successive Premier League win by defeating Wolves 3-0 at Molineux Stadium.

Morgan Gibbs-White’s deflected shot past his former club silenced the home crowd early on, and although Jorgen Strand-Larsen had three good chances to equalize for Vitor Pereira’s side, it was Chris Wood who doubled the lead before half-time.

Taiwo Awonyi scored a third stoppage-time goal to seal a sixth successive Premier League win as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side earned a draw with Arsenal and left their cheering fans dreaming of next season’s Champions League.

Wolves will be content with retaining their Premier League status. This defeat, which is Pereira’s first since taking charge, despite the team lacking important players such as the suspended Matheus Cunha, leaves them outside the relegation zone on goal difference only.

Player Ratings:

Wolves: SA (6), Lima (6), Doherty (5), Bueno (6), R Gomez (7), Doyle (5), G Gomez (6), Ait Nouri (6), Guedes (6), Strand-Larsen (4), Hwang (5).

Submarines: Lemina (5), Bellegarde (6), Sarabia (5), Forbes (6).

Nottingham Forest: Sales (8), Aina (8), Milinkovic (7), Murillo (7), Williams (7), Dominguez (8), Anderson (7), Gibbs-White (8), Elanga (7), Wood ( 7). ), Hudson-Odoi (8).

Submarines: Morata (6), Silva (6), Yeats (6), Wonyi (7), Ward-Prowse (7).

Player of the match: Morgan Gibbs White.

The red forest machine is running

Matz Szils was brilliant for Forest, making some special saves to keep a clean sheet, which tells you Nuno’s men didn’t do it their own way. But it was no surprise that they maintained control of this match from Gibbs-White’s goal onwards.

The England international, against England manager Thomas Tuchel, gave Forest the advantage and they never relinquished it. This is what this team is doing now. They are confident and mature, and feel comfortable with and without football.

Wood did not get the opportunities that Strand Larsen enjoyed, but he did not need them. Forest supporters chanted towards the end of the match, saying they were coming for Liverpool. Why not? This win put them six points away from the Premier League leaders.

Nuno avoids talking about the title race

Nottingham Forest president Nuno Espirito Santo’s statements at the press conference:

Q: It’s the next Liverpool. Are you in the title race?

A: “We’re playing Luton in the FA Cup at the City Ground, which is huge for us. It’s a good opportunity for us. I’m sorry for not answering your direct question, but that’s the truth.

He added: “We must prepare well. The FA Cup is important, and it is a good opportunity for us to give minutes to everyone, because it will be a very long season.”

“We need all players with minutes, fitness and rhythm. So firstly, Luton.”

Q: The rest of the country is looking at the league table at the moment. When do you think you might do it?

A: “I don’t know, maybe at the end of the season. Maybe I’ll take a look.”

Q: At the end of the season?

A: “Yes, yes.”

Q: “Not when you are in a Champions League qualification position, and not with four games to go?

A: “No, at the end of the season. At the end of the season, I’ll take a look. I promise you guys I’ll take a look at it.”

Weak wolves are very short

Wolves have performed better under Pereira, but the scale of the task still facing them has become a bit clear for the Portuguese after this display, and the lack of depth in the squad is evident. With three of their four senior centre-backs injured, Wolves were very short in defence.

They were also without captain Nelson Semedo and star midfielder Andre for this match, in addition to of course their standout performance of the season in Cunha. In the absence of several key players, this was perhaps a spirited effort by Wolves.

Cunha is expected to return for the next Premier League match against Newcastle, but Pereira will need much more than that. Defenders are believed to have begun to emerge, including Emmanuel Agbado. Pereira hopes they can make a difference.