Nottingham Forest

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Elliot Anderson has made the fifth most passes in the Premier League this season with 2,002 - at a success rate of 85.8% - almost 200 more than the next midfielder on the list Dominik Szoboszlai.

He has also won possession back 259 times - the highest in the division - and has won the most ground duels, 195 of his 359.

Anderson has carried the ball 5,406.5m, only behind Jan Paul van Hecke, Declan Rice, Pedro Neto and Ryan Gravenberch this season.

To some his success is no surprise.

Former Stoke midfielder Glenn Whelan coached and played with Anderson during his loan at Bristol Rovers in 2022.

Anderson joined the Pirates on deadline day in the February and made an instant impact, coming off the bench to win a point-saving penalty in the 1-1 draw at Sutton on his debut.

Whelan said: "The staff were a bit mindful at the time - Sutton were big, strong and aggressive and as a teenager would he be able to stand up to it?

"He came on and made the difference. He was a game-changer for Rovers.

"The biggest respect I can give to Elliot is he was the one who got us promoted. He was the difference.

"Straight away you could tell he was different. He loves the ball, would take on two, three, four players and after the first game everyone was thinking 'we've got a proper talent here'."

The then 19-year-old scored seven goals in 21 appearances to help Rovers to automatic promotion, including the seventh goal in their improbable 7-0 final-day win over Scunthorpe.

It left former Aston Villa and Stoke midfielder Whelan in no doubt of what Anderson could achieve.

"He's a bit of a throwback, the way he handles the ball. From where he's come from people talk about Gazza (Paul Gascoigne) - he has that about him," the former Republic of Ireland international told BBC Sport.

"He can grab games by the scruff off the neck. It's been a difficult season for Forest but if you put him in a top-four team you'll see a bigger improvement again.

"You've only seen a small bit on the England stage but he can go to the very top.

"I see him being a big success for England and being a mainstay for years."

Bologna are eyeing a summer move for Nottingham Forest's 25-year-old Italy striker Lorenzo Lucca, who is loan from Napoli until the end of the season. (Gazzetta - in Italian), external

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Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson has been speaking to the media before England's friendly against Japan on Tuesday, the final home match before the World Cup and therefore a last chance for players to impress manager Thomas Tuchel.

"It's always a big game when you play for England and I'm really looking forward to it," said Anderson at a news conference on Monday. "It's the last game before the World Cup and I've just got to try to do what I've been doing in the previous games."

Many expect Anderson to be part of England's starting midfield when Tuchel's side begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia on 17 June.

Asked if he felt confident he would be in the team at the start of the tournament, the 23-year-old said: "I want it that way, but I've got the rest of the season left with Forest and I've got plenty of games and time until then.

"I've got to keep my standards high and make sure it happens."

At club level, Anderson's Forest team are striving to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

"Ultimately, all of the games are the same," said Anderson, when asked about the contrast between being involved in the battle for survival and representing his country.

"I'm just going onto the pitch, trying to give my best and fighting for whatever strip I've got on. That's all I'm doing."

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood edging closer to a return to first-team action after more than five months out injured, and how much of an impact the striker could have in the closing weeks of the season.

Here are some of your comments:

Joshy: I hope he can hit the ground running. But I'm not going to hold my breath - he's been out for a long while so it might take some time for him to get up to speed and scoring again.

Simon: We've needed a decent forward all season. If we scored goals per chances created, we'd be nicely positioned in mid-table or so. Igor Jesus is OK but not prolific in the Premier League and Lorenzo Lucca... well, I'll say no more. Give Woody a chance and he's more than likely to put it away or at least hit the target.

Shaun: Sadly, Wood will need at least four games to get up to speedand it could be too late by then. I hope I'm wrong but he has been a valuable player to the team and the club.

Chris: How can we not miss our top goalscorer? Hopefully he will return for the last few games. If so, we are definitely staying up!

David: Hope they don't force him into a full Porto game and we ruin our chances when we have Aston Villa at home. Give him the last 30 minutes of Porto to stretch his legs and rest him ready for Villa.

Michael: He's been a huge miss this season. It's obvious in terms of goal contributions, but also in other ways, such as leadership and knowledge of the game. Given all the drama at the club, a wise and respected head in the dressing room could really have helped.

Sean: It's been an obvious theme this season, making so many chances but failing to score. How many of those chances would Wood have scored? We'd probably have been in a better position in the league if he'd been fit, but we can't really focus on the what ifs. Jesus has done his best to lead the line, with a great return in Europe and a not-so-great return in the Premier League, despite a really strong, consistent work-rate. It's been good to see Taiwo Awoniyi get a few goals this season after what he's been through with injury recoveries. It's baffling that since Wood last played for us, we've been through a couple of managers, but now he's coming back he could have a huge impact on our survival battle. Fingers crossed.

Chris Wood is nearing a return to first-team action.

The Nottingham Forest striker, who has not played since injuring his knee against Chelsea in October, featured in the first half of a match for the club's under-21 side last Friday and scored the opener in a 3-0 win.

If and when he returns, it will give boss Vitor Pereira another attacking option in both the Premier League survival battle and the latter stages of the Europa League.

Asked last week whether Wood could return for Forest's first Premier League match back against Aston Villa, Pereira said: "I don't know, I don't have the information about it. But he is another leader, a fantastic player and character, and we need him for the last games."

Wood was a leading light in Forest's exceptional 2024-25 season, scoring 20 league goals under Nuno Espirito Santo.

While this was a spectacular career-high return, he scored a key equaliser against Manchester City in the second half of the 2022-23 season during an injury-hit initial loan from Newcastle and was Forest's top scorer with 14 league goals in the 2023-24 season after making the move permanent.

A dramatic and chaotic drop-off by Forest this campaign has coincided with Wood's lengthy absence, elongated by requiring surgery in December.

While not being overly impressive, Forest scored 58 goals last season - averaging 1.42 per game, with Wood providing 34.8% of them. This season they have scored 31 times in 31 games so far - a one goal per game average - with Wood scoring just twice on the opening day.

Since his arrival at the City Ground in January 2023, Forest have played 67 games in which Wood has started, winning 25 times, and 59 games in which he has not, winning 15 times.

Forest's win percentage with him starting is 37.3% with a points-per-game rate of 1.4, while it is 25.4% without him with a points-per-game of 1.0.

His impact on their attacking output is shown in their goals per game dropping from 1.4 in games Wood starts to 1.1 in games he does not.

Forest fans - how much have you missed Wood this season? And what impact could he have on the rest of the campaign when he returns from injury?

Let us know here

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest finally have some clarity.

On a fourth manager of the season they may have found the right formula just in time.

Sunday's 3-0 win at Tottenham, so vital in the relegation battle, was their first in the Premier League under Vitor Pereira.

It was also Pereira's first win in the top flight in 11 months, having left Wolves in November winless this season.

The Portuguese has brought a sense of harmony to the City Ground since February after the players failed to gel with Sean Dyche.

The former Forest trainee lasted 144 days with the squad struggling to adapt to his methods and feeling there was too much focus on physicality and running over tactics.

The squad are more comfortable under Pereira and feel there is a clearer picture while they also believe, tactically, he looks to get the best out of them.

That comes after Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou and Dyche kept the door revolving at the club this season.

Pereira's time at Wolves ended in huge disappointment as the season fell apart quickly following mistakes in the transfer market and losing Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri but he has a track record of making quick impacts.

That has happened at Forest, even if it took five games for a Premier League victory. Forest beat Fenerbahce and Midtjylland to reach the Europa League quarter-finals and deserved more from a defeat by Liverpool.

The 2-2 draw at Manchester City at the start of the month showed Forest's steel for the fight.

They are still just three points clear of the relegation zone and still not safe but there is a sense, especially with Tottenham's downward momentum, Pereira can take Forest to safety.

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Neco Williams is in awe of what came before him. The names of Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Craig Bellamy revered as everlasting icons of Welsh football.

But is walking in their footsteps a gift or a curse? Living up to the soaring standards set by the aforementioned trio is an expectation Williams and his Wales colleagues have no option but to cope with.

Wales' shot at World Cup qualification arrives as a welcome distraction from Nottingham Forest's fight against relegation for Williams.

From a personal perspective, the 24-year-old is having the most consistent season of his career, having made 48 appearances for club and country.

On his own form, Williams said: "I'd say it's probably been one of my best and consistent seasons I've had as a player.

"I think I've missed one Premier League game from my own doing when I obviously got sent off.

"I've always found it a bit difficult to get that consistency and I think as a professional you need that consistency especially when you're playing in the Premier League."

Yet Williams' personal achievements are tempered somewhat by Forest's collective difficulties.

Of course, the managerial changes – current boss Vitor Pereira is the fourth head coach the Forest squad have worked under this season after Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche – have not necessarily helped the team find a consistent rhythm.

"Every manager or coach has their different ways," added Williams.

"I guess this is just part of the parcel of football where the manager goes, you've got to be ready for the next one and you've got to take on his ideas and his style of work straight away.

"You know, to have four different managers with four different styles and ways of working - you've just got to adapt quickly and get used to it.

"There's no time to sulk. You've just got to get on and you've got to get on board with his ideas straight away."

Ream more on Williams before Wales' key play-off

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We asked for your views on what you have made of Vitor Pereira's start as Forest boss.

Here are some of your comments:

Kris: Pereira feels like the right fit, after the mixed tenures of Ange and Dyche. Both of the latter seemed keen to reflect on their past successes when faced with adversity, and neither convinced. Pereira does more than talk the talk though. There has been more identity, structure and purpose to our play since he came in, and the players are visibly lifted. The majority of fans are behind him, the players too, so it can only get better from here…can't it? Take nothing for granted at Forest and enjoy the ride.

Edward: To have any chance of staying up a club has to have momentum. There can't be momentum without unity. 2022-23 was all about on field chaos until Cooper finally gelled the team that April. 2025-26 is all about off field chaos, but could the last two performances hint at a similar positive outcome for Pereira?

Grahame: Vitor has got the team playing again as one. Giving the players confidence has been the key. They look like the team from last season, long may it last.

John: Pereira seems to have recognised the style that suits the players and they seem to be responding. Will it be enough? I certainly hope so but Forest fans have learned not to underestimate what's happening behind the scenes so let's hope the powers that be leave Pereira and the squad to get on with it and we'll be alright. Some of the squad might even want to stay.

Tony: Finally the players seem like they are gelling and become the team that 'on paper' says they should be. The main task now is keep it going, stay up and stay together.

Nottingham Forest and West Ham will face competition from AC Milan for the signing of Bologna's Argentine forward Santiago Castro, 21, this summer. (Tuttomercatoweb - in Italian), external

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Pat Riddell
Fan writer

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Nottingham Forest have a habit of blowing things up in your face. So when I say it feels like Vitor Pereira might be the head coach we need right now, there's a high chance it could backfire.

It's still early days, of course, but there's already a sense that Pereira understands the club. He might be our fourth manager of the season, but his comments after the 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur suggest there's a continuity with the Steve Cooper and Nuno Espirito Santo eras.

"Each time that we fight, we need to feel that we are a family. The players need to feel they are fighting with our supporters, and with the club, with the city. Because if we are together - of course, we can lose games - but the energy that they send to us is something special."

Sometimes saying the right things and doing the right things seem to be blatantly obvious. And yet, many managers can't even bring themselves to say the right thing - for example, Ange Postecoglou - let alone do the right thing. Pereira has managed both with aplomb.

Cooper and Nuno clearly knew when to put an arm around a player and how to motivate them. Pereira has been very clear from the start that confidence is key and he's sought to instil that. You only need to look at the away performance against Midtjylland to see that the fringe players - long maligned, although not necessarily their fault - have responded and delivered on that trust.

There is method, there is structure and there are clear commands that have allowed this talented squad to flourish once again. The belief and determination that has seen us through demanding times is clearly there. It just needs to stay.

It might only be his first Premier League win but it follows battling performances against Liverpool and Manchester City. There's a growing sense that there is unity and resilience returning.

It doesn't matter now where the points come from, we just have to believe that Pereira's methods will deliver.

What have you made of Pereira's start as Forest boss? Is he proving to be the head coach you need or do you still have reservations?

Get in touch with your views here

Find more from Pat Riddell at The Famous Club, external

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Morgan Gibbs-White spoke to BBC Radio Nottingham after Sunday's victory against Tottenham: "This was massive for us. After the week we've had, to continue the spirit and commitment means absolutely everything going in to the international break. Three points and a little bit of breathing room, but we can't look too far ahead and we have to take it game by game.

"It has probably been a perfect week, but I told the boys before that Nottingham Forest isn't Nottingham Forest without the ups and downs. It has been a hell of a journey and we have put the fans through stress, but it is all worth it for days and weeks like this. If I was a fan, I would be so proud of the team."

Listen to more from Gibbs-White here

And hit play below to hear from scorer of the opening goal Igor Jesus, or listen on BBC Sounds here

Explore all Forest audio on BBC Sounds

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Supporters are finally seeing the Nottingham Forest they "should have seen most of this season", says fan Sarah Brown.

The Reds secured what could turn out to be a crucial 3-0 win away to Tottenham in their fight to stay in the Premier League.

The victory saw Vitor Pereira's side leapfrog Spurs in the table and move themselves three points clear of the relegation zone with seven games remaining.

"It just felt great. As soon as we went 1-0 up I thought 'we are going to win this'," Brown told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"The players seem to be playing for Pereira now, even the second-string side, they are all playing well. What we are seeing I think is the Forest that we should have seen most of this season.

"We are not stupid, though, we have been in this fight before as Forest fans. We take each game as it comes and hopefully get the points. We've got Aston Villa at home next, who we have been OK against, but it is all about the spirit and getting behind your team.

"It's about the team and the momentum building something and I think that is what we have over the past week, especially winning in Europe. So, bring it on.

"What we have seen in Pereira is a bit of the Nuno-esque arms around the players, letting them express themselves, and that is really what they needed."

Listen to the full discussion from 22:00 on BBC Sounds

Former Premier League goalkeeper Joe Hart described Elliot Anderson as an "all-action midfielder who is a brilliant athlete" following Nottingham Forest's victory against Tottenham on Sunday.

Danny Murphy added: "He is prepared to make mistakes when so many midfielders these days aren't.

"So many people want to be a 'six' or a '10' these days, but you don't have to - if you are dynamic like him, you can do both."

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Tottenham and Nottingham Forest.

Here are some of your comments:

Spurs fans

Raj: Every time you think you cannot be let down by the club any further, they find a new way to disappoint you. It feels like everyone and everything is conspiring against us - dodgy ref decisions certainly. But, ultimately, poor performances and poor decisions from the board have brought us here. I've never felt more disconnected from the club or out of love with the game than I do right now.

Pat: After the impressive win over Atletico Madrid, one would have thought a braver line-up and style of football would have been the better choice. But they retreated to play an ineffective, long-ball style, which was so comfortable for Forest. It's a sad indictment on the owners and how they have made poor appointments, signings and maintained an out-of-date wage structure. Only a miracle can save us now.

Steve: It is seven games too late to have appointed a capable successor to Thomas Frank. With seven games and a three-week hiatus in prospect, it is now or never to bite the bullet. If Forest can have four managers in a season and then they come up with Sunday's performance, three for Spurs can't be a bad idea! Someone who can introduce all our defensive players to one another and instil the idea of teamwork into them...

Hugh: Guidance is required now otherwise Championship football awaits! This guy should never been appointed manager. Therefore, let's right the situation and appoint a manager with Premier League experience!

Forest fans

Sean: The first goal was key in this match, and for Igor Jesus to get back in the Premier League goals just on half-time delivered a real gut punch for both Tottenham's squad and their fans, which they didn't recover from. We looked totally at ease in the second half, and Morgan Gibbs-White had to score against them. The icing on the cake was seeing Taiwo Awoniyi bag another goal from the subs' bench. This has been a great week to be a Forest fan. We need to keep it going.

Luke: That's as good an away win as I can remember, and just at the right time. It felt like last season's standards, and we need that two or three times more to be safe this year. I wish we were playing again on Wednesday, and I bet the players do too. Still dreaming!

Michael: Wow! Just wow! I wasn't expecting a three-goal win, especially when you saw how the Spurs fans opted to get behind their team. Brilliant defending all day and three well-crafted goals that have been hard to come by. It could all change in a week, but hopefully this gives Forest the confidence to push on and get more points. COYR!

Ben: Not so much a huge win but an utterly essential one. Even when Forest were on the back foot in the first half, the commitment from the players was excellent and it meant they were in a position to capitalise when the chance arose. The goal advantage certainly helped Forest dictate the game more in the second half and three goals and a clean sheet will do their confidence the world of good. Not clear of the danger yet, but the momentum and control is back with Forest!

Pundits Danny Murphy and Joe Hart join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Tottenham 0-3 Nottingham Forest

• Aston Villa 2-0 West Ham

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Vitor Pereira had not won in the Premier League since last April.

He left Wolves in November winless this season and it has taken five games to take three top-flight points at Foirest but they will be huge for their season.

Battling defeats against Liverpool and Brighton deserved more while a draw at Manchester City showed the squad's quality and grit.

It was Forest's second 3-0 win against Tottenham in the league this season, their first coming under Sean Dyche in December, and it was just as deserved.

At Tottenham they weathered any, light, storm in the first 40 minutes and rarely looked in trouble after Igor Jesus' opener.

Igor Jesus has scored just three goals in the Premier League this season since a £10m move from Botafogo last summer.

All of them have earned Forest points, with a 1-0 win at Wolves and January's 2-0 victory at Brentford. Sunday's header was his 13th goal of the campaign, with seven coming in the Europa League.

None will be as crucial as this one as Forest build momentum following Thursday's penalty shootout win at Midtjylland which earned a Europa League quarter-final with Porto.

There will be a rock solid belief they will stay up now with West Ham and Tottenham potentially left to fight it out for survival.

Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "We started with a good level. But after 15-20 minutes, we started to lose a lot of possession, second balls and duels. We conceded a lot of set-pieces. We suffered until half-time.

"In the second half, I asked them to be themselves and play at our level. I asked them to play the same way we started the game and told them something will happen. And I am happy that they played with personality and organisation. It was an important win.

"I have a team that have the quality to play with the ball. But it's difficult to play in our way if you lose the ball often. Tottenham were very aggressive in the duels. It was not our intention to defend but they pushed us. We had some luck till half-time.

"But it was a good time to score the opener. We studied our opponents during the set-pieces and we scored. Set-pieces and even throw-ins are very important at the moment as in football, in every situation, we can get a goal.

"After the [Europa League game] in Denmark, it was important to rest. I tried to balance the energy. The players who played against Midtjylland and today showed that they have the quality to face the next games.

"For me, it's just three points. We got it. Next game, we have the chance to do it again. And we need to go there to get those points again. This will go on until the end of the season."

You can listen to more from Pereira on BBC Sounds

Did you know?

• Nottingham Forest have achieved a league double over Tottenham in consecutive seasons for just the second time (2024-25 and 2025-26), after doing so in both 1995-96 and 1996-97.

• Forest's Igor Jesus is one of only five Premier League players to score 10+ away goals in all competitions this season (10), along with Erling Haaland (13), Igor Thiago (12), Joao Pedro (11) and Ismaila Sarr (10).

• Morgan Gibbs-White has scored in each of his last three Premier League away games - only Taiwo Awoniyi (4 between May-August 2023) has done so in more in succession for Forest in the competition.

• Elliot Anderson created the most chances (3), completed more passes (38), won possession more often (9) and made more tackles (6) than any other Forest player in today's win.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Tottenham's performance

What did you make of Nottingham Forest's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Tottenham XI: Vicario, Spence, Danso, Romero, van de Ven, Porro, Gray, Sarr, Richarlison, Tel, Solanke.

Subs: Kinsky, Dragusin, Udogie, Souza, Palhinha, Gallagher, Bergvall, Xavi, Kolo Muani.

Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Williams, Murillo, Milenkovic, Aina, Sangare, Anderson, Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Igor Jesus, Hudson-Odoi.

Subs: Ortega, Morato, Awoniyi, Yates, Dominguez, Netz, Bakwa, McAtee, Ndoye.