An entertaining night at the City Ground went the wrong way for Nottingham Forest as they fell to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Newcastle United with poor defending and individual mistakes costing the Reds. Goals from Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi were not enough as Bruno Guimaraes scored a brace as well as Fabian Schar getting on the score sheet to give the Geordies their third win in four games in all competitions.
Nuno Espírito Santo made one change from the Reds last league outing in the draw at Bournemouth. Andrew Omobamidele, who has stepped up when he was needed, was replaced by Moussa Niakhate who made his first league appearance since returning from the African Cup Of Nations. There was a joke debut for keeper Matz Sels with other new signings Giovani Reyna and Rodrigo Ribeiro getting places on the bench. Eddie Howe made one change from the side that drew 4-4 with Luton Town. Jacob Murphy came out the eleven and was replaced by Callum Wilson as he lead the line. Anthony Gordon started despite an injury scare that was thought to rule him out of the game.
It took just ten minutes for the opening goal and it was Newcastle who found it. A clever corner routine saw Miguel Almiron play the ball to Kieran Trippier on the corner of the box and his first time cross was met by an unmarked Guimaraes at the back post and he found the back of the net with a first time volley. A neat tactic by Howe’s side with Guimaraes netting his first goal since September and silencing the City Ground.
Forest were level though just after the 25 minute mark. Morgan Gibbs-White in the middle of the pitch put a ball behind the defence for Elanga to meet and he used his pace to get one on one with Martin Dubravka and poke the ball past him to score. Elanga’s pace causing Dan Burn and Newcastle problems once again as it did in Forest’s 3-1 win up in Newcastle on Boxing Day and the Toon just didn’t have a solution to deal with him.
The away side then re-took the lead through another set-piece. Trippier’s free kick from deep was sent into the box and after the ball was headed around the area, it fell to defender Schar who swept home under Sells. The Swiss international scoring again after scoring a brace in their last away outing at Aston Villa with Forest conceding from yet another set piece.
But in the final minute of first half stoppage time, Forest free level again. Hudson-Odoi cutting in from the left and his right footed shot from distance deselected of Lewis Miley and wrong footed Dubravka and found the left corner. Two goals in his last two league games for the former Chelsea winger who’s confidence is showing to be growing at a rapid rate.
That was it for the first half after a highly entertaining half of football played out. Forest eventually growing into the game after seeing none of the ball in the opening stages. Newcastle used their physicality well to cause Forest problems and saw most of the ball.
It was a quiet second half in comparison to the first but that didn’t stop Newcastle from taking the lead for the third first time as Guimaraes netted his second. Elanga’s poor clearance from the corner of the pitch saw the ball drop to the Brazilian midfielder on the edge of the box and he found the bottom corner without being closed down. An individual mistake costing Forest after Elanga’s clearance but a night for Guimaraes to removed as he scored his third of the season.
Forest came close to equalising in stoppage time. Gibbs-White taking range from the edge of the box but he couldn’t get enough curl on the ball as it went just wide.
Forest flooded the Newcastle box with crosses but couldn’t find the equaliser as Newcastle came away with the three points. The result moves the North East side up to 7th in the table with their next fixture being against Howe’s former side AFC Bournemouth at St. James Park. Forest remain 16th and two points clear of the relegation zone and remain winless in 2024 in the Premier League. Next up for the Reds is another home game where they play West Ham United in where a win is really be needed.
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