Southampton (H) 19/01/25

 

Nottingham Forest 3-2 Southampton

Anderson 11'                                 Bednarek 60'

Hudson-Odoi 28'                           Onuachu 90+1'

Wood 41'

 

Back in 2023, this fixture felt a must win. Both of us in relegation scrap. It felt like the winner would go on to stay up. Just under 2 years later, the meeting also felt like a must win. One of us fighting for a Champions League and the other trying to avoid being the worst team in Premier League history. With a tough run coming up, the Reds needed to breeze past the league’s bottom place team.

In Forest’s first away game of this season, they travelled down St Mary’s stadium. Thanks to a 70th minute goal from Morgan Gibbs-White, the Reds came out 1-0 winners. In our first season back in the top flight after 23 years, the Saints were the only team Forest completed the double over. Taiwo Awoniyi scored as the Reds left the south coast with all 3 points. At the City Ground, in a 7-goal thriller, the hosts came out 4-3 winners. History was also on Forest’s side as they have only lost one in the sides’ last twelve meetings.

The visitors started the game with something to be positive about. They were having a go at trying to break down Forest’s strong defence but once Elliot Anderson’s 11-minute goal crept into the bottom corner, they started to struggle. The goal started from a throw-in by Neco Williams in the Southampton half. He played it to the feet of Gibbs-White who produced a lovely flick for Anderson to collect as he drove forward. He continued his run and came more central for a better shot at goal and 20 yards out, struck a low effort for the bottom corner to beat Aaron Ramsdale. That’s his first goal in the Garibaldi and his first in the Premier League. You can’t say it hasn’t been a long time coming!

The Saints haven’t won a game when going behind first in the league this season and their job was about to become even harder as Forest doubled their lead. Southampton were playing it around the back but after receiving a pass from James Bree, Jan Bednarek’s touch was heavy. Chris Wood punished him, stealing the possession back, before passing back to Callum Hudson-Odoi. The winger jumped over the challenge from Bednarek who looked to make up for his mistake, but Hudson-Odoi was bearing down on goal. He took a few touches to make his angle more central before curling a shot into the bottom left corner from the edge of the ‘D’.

Southampton were calling for that half time whistle.  Wood had the ball in a central position before playing out to Ola Aina in a wider position on the right. He had time over the ball as he waited for Wood to make his run into the box. The right back put the ball in for his bagsman who got his head to the ball to send it bouncing into the bottom left corner. Ramsdale got a hand to it and might’ve felt he could’ve done better. Wood has now equalled his best ever season with 14 goals. In the dying seconds of the first 45, Southampton finally had a shot at Matz Sels’ goal. Kyle Walker-Peters took on a few Forest players before firing low just wide of the left post. Surely Forest were going into the break, thinking they had already won the game?

Forest started the second half how they ended the first: in full control. Jota Silva put Bree under pressure down the right side and the centre back, as well as his teammate Walker-Peters, both ended on the floor. Ola Aina pinched the ball, which allowed Jota to drive towards the byline pulling the ball back to the centre of the box. The ball bounced off Wood and Elanga took it from him to fire at goal. Ramsdale got down to save it but the rebound fell to Gibbs-White just 5 yards out. The ball got stuck underneath him so his effort looking for the bottom right corner was cleared off the line by Bednarek. Just moments after Forest should’ve made it 4, the visitors were up the other end getting a goal back. Mateus Fernandes lofted a free-kick on the halfway line towards the back post. Wood managed to clear but only to the feet of Ugochukwu who let the ball bounce before hitting it towards the far post from the edge of the box. His effort was flicked on by Bednarek to loop over Sels and into the net.

The drama continued as Nikola Milenkovic was denied his 3rd goal of the season. Elanga whipped in the ball from a free kick on the left which was headed towards goal by the centre back. Ramsdale seemed to catch the attempt, but it slipped out his hands and landed in the net. Anthony Taylor was soon at the pitch side monitor to rule out the goal as it was deemed Wood coming from an offside position stopped Paul Onuachu heading the ball away. The Kiwi then had a big chance of his own as Jota set him up from close range, but he could only send it way over the crossbar.

Nuno’s side were enjoying more possession than their opponents for one of the few times this season but as the game drew to an end a nervy feel started to grow. This mounted after the visitors pulled another goal back just 2 minutes into 12 minutes of stoppage time. A near post corner, delivered by Fernandes was met by an unmarked Onuachu who headed past Sels. The Reds have had a few goal line clearances this season, but I don’t think any are as important as Aina’s in the 95th minute. Fernandes delivered another corner from the left which Bednarek flicked on towards the back post. It beat Sels but luckily Aina was there to stick a leg out and clear it. Right at the end of the game, Murillo went on a run towards the Southampton net and he managed to beat their players to bear down on goal but in the end his exciting run came to an end as Yellow shirts got back. The Reds held on to go level on points with Arsenal who are in second.

At half time, I couldn’t really fault the boys as we were 3-0 up and had scored 3 beautiful goals. However, football really is a game of 2 halves. The first one they scored was lucky but this season we’ve been so good at defending set pieces so to leave a 6 foot 7 striker unmarked that late into the game is really poor and increased the nerves. I think we have to thank Ola for saving us at the end, but my personal man of the match was Elliot. I’m so happy he’s finally got his first goal too. Southampton did cause us a few problems especially out wide, but they didn’t particularly trouble Sels as his saves were just parries. I think our disallowed goal was a very harsh decision. Wood is offside but I don’t think he effects play that much. Anthony Taylor was poor once again, not even looking at the elbow in Gibbs-White’s face and not giving Walker-Peters an obvious second yellow card. I am writing this report as Murillo’s contract extension has just been announced which is brilliant news and shows he really is committed to the club.

 

Forest: Sels; Williams, Murillo, Milenkovic, Aina ; Anderson, Dominguez (Yates 83’); Hudson-Odoi (Jota Silva 38’), Gibbs-White (Sosa 83’), Elanga (Morato 74’); Wood (Awoniyi 83’)

 

Southampton: Ramsdale; Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Bree (Smallbone 86’); Walker-Peters, Aribo, Downes (Ugochukwu 46’), Fernandes, Sugawara (Manning 58’); Armstrong (Sulemana 58’), Archer (Onuachu 58’)