Big match talking points as Murillo cashes in and Elanga learns valuable lesson
Latest Nottingham Forest verdict as Nuno Espirito Santo’s Reds beat Brentford 2-0 at the Gtech Community Stadium
Nottingham Forest’s fantastic season is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, and it’s likely only going to get better.
After the hosts’ undefeated home record was broken by a 2-0 Forest victory, Callum Hudson-Odoi led the post-match fist pumps in front of the away end at Brentford this time. By that time, some of the players appeared exhausted from working such long shifts. However, as the Reds supporters serenaded them, they managed to muster up enough energy to dance on the pitch in jubilation.
This tenacious, determined, and simply outstanding Forest team will be sitting in the top four of the Premier League come Christmas. Despite Nuno Espirito Santo’s desire to stay grounded, it’s become harder to overlook the Reds’ European credentials.
They continued a string of strong away performances by becoming the first club to defeat Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium this season. Sarah Clapson examines a few of the major talking topics from Forest’s most recent triumph in the capital.
Defensive resolve
The Reds became the first team to deny Thomas Frank’s team a goal on their own pitch this season in addition to handing the Bees their first home loss of the year.And it all came down to an outstanding defensive performance.
The forest was solid as granite. Despite the initial shakiness, Nuno’s choice to start with three at the back turned out to be a brilliant one. In addition to making the visitors nearly impenetrable, it also made it possible for wing-backs Neco Williams and Ola Aina to advance, as evidenced by the latter’s goal in the first minute.
The away end gave Matz Sels a special chant in appreciation for his fantastic season, which is possibly on par with that of striker Chris Wood. After making several wise stops early on, the Belgian goalie contributed one of the season’s best saves to deny Kristoffer Ajer in the second half and secure his sixth clean sheet of the year.
However, what was most notable was the trio of centre halves.In particular, Murillo was imposing in every facet of his game, and that showing would have increased his price tag by many million. That’s saying something because it was possibly his best performance to yet.
On his first start, Morato overcame some initial nervousness, and Nikola Milenkovic was as dominant as usual. Nuno’s current dilemma is whether to continue using that approach, but on Saturday, its deployment paid off handsomely.
Excellent Elanga
A few weeks ago, Anthony Elanga didn’t seem right. After setting such high expectations the previous term, he was unable to reach the same level of success this time around due to the campaign’s uneven start.
It appears like getting on the scoresheet against Aston Villa last weekend was a huge help to him. He appears confident once more and has returned to his previous level of play from a year ago.
After grabbing the ball from Keane Lewis-Potter’s toes, the winger finished with a beautiful, calm finish to make it two goals in as many games. Additionally, he later disclosed that he had been following advice from former England attacker Jermain Defoe.
A pleasant note was sent to me by Jermain Defoe. “I want to put myself in areas to score, so it’s about getting in the box,” he told Match of the Day. It’s in the box with the highest goal total.
“I focus on that during training, which helps you develop muscle memory. I want to practise it in games just like you do in training.
Forest is proving that they can find the back of the net without depending just on Wood. Despite the New Zealander’s lack of goal in the previous two games, the Reds have scored four goals, two each against Brentford and Villa.
Elanga continued, “At the end, the majority of the players were on the floor” (via the BBC).It’s challenging to get here. Getting three points wasn’t simple, but it was crucial, and now we just need to keep pushing.
Simply getting into the box and into places where I can score is crucial. All I want is to continue clicking and doing what I do consistently.
The outcome on Saturday complemented noteworthy away victories against Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Brighton & Hove Albion.With five away victories so far this season, Forest has already surpassed the total of the previous two seasons combined.
The fact that the players have demonstrated that they can easily switch between formations and duties will be greatly appreciated by Nuno, who wants his team to have a variety of skills. This time, Morgan Gibbs-White, for instance, was excellent at playing deeper.
Keep dreaming
This outcome, which came a day after he celebrated his first anniversary at the City Ground, perfectly captured Forest’s development under Nuno. It was the perfect example of the disciplined, well-organised, and attack-capable team they had developed under his leadership. As a result of some superb hiring, they have a solid backbone yet are infused with quality all over the field.
Being in the top four is somewhat of a dream. Getting the three points is excellent for the supporters as well. They also deserve it,” Aina said.
Together, we’re doing a great job. The manager has introduced his ideas into the club. It was a little touch and go when he got there, but the gang
On social media, Gibbs-White wrote, “If you believe, we believe.” And there is little doubt that people of a Forest persuasion are becoming more and more convinced.
After suffering three straight losses, the Reds bounced back to win the Premier League for the second time this season. After 17 games, Forest has 31 points, putting them on track to reach the initial goal of the magic 40. Additionally, they currently have two more points than they had in the 1994–1995 Uefa Cup, when they last qualified for Europe. Nuno is currently in its second year, and it might be a successful one.
