He slotted into the left corner nine minutes later to wrap up the points and move City back to a point behind Premier League front-runners Arsenal, who won at Tottenham earlier on Sunday.

City went ahead 32 minutes in as Josko Gvardiol scored with a powerful near-post header from Kevin de Bruyne’s inswinging corner.

That came while Forest’s Neco Williams was off the pitch receiving treatment for an injury, which subsequently forced his substitution.

Pep Guardiola’s City have a game in hand over Arsenal but may still need to win all of their games between now and the end of the season to secure a record fourth consecutive Premier League title.

This was a far from comfortable afternoon for the visitors, as Forest disrupted their flow and created a number of good opportunities.

Based on this performance, it is hard to believe Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are in a relegation fight, but they remain just one point above the drop zone.

After a tumultuous time off the pitch in which they have criticised refereeing standards, this was a determined display from Forest but they ultimately paid the price for missed chances.

City get the job done

Playing in the last match of the weekend, City had watched rivals Liverpool perhaps knocked out of the title race with a draw at West Ham on Saturday before Arsenal secured their victory in the North London derby to briefly go four points clear.

City faced Forest without Phil Foden and Ruben Dias, absent from the squad through illness, while Haaland was deemed fit enough just for the bench.

There was further concern as goalkeeper Ederson had to be replaced by Stefan Ortega at half-time after picking up an apparent shoulder injury from a clash with Willy Boly, having only returned to the side two matches ago after recovering from a muscle problem. Ederson later left the City Ground with his left arm in a sling.

Mateo Kovacic was brought on at half-time for Jeremy Doku as Guardiola tried to introduce more control in the middle of the park, but Forest remained solid, getting in behind and causing problems as they sought an equaliser.

With City facing pressure, it was only when Haaland scored – in front of his dad and former City and Forest player Alfie Haaland—that the result seemed assured.

While not a vintage performance from the visitors, City’s quality eventually shone through with De Bruyne setting up both goals, taking his assists tally for the season to 14 across all competitions.

It means the title remains in City’s hands. If both they and Arsenal keep winning, and City take advantage of their game in hand, then Guardiola’s team will take the title by two points.

Recent history tells us that at this point in the season, City knows how to turn it on when it matters.

Determined Forest rue missed chances

With all eyes on Forest off the pitch, they needed to start doing their talking on it.

A controversial statement released following their 2-0 loss at Everton on 21 April claimed the video assistant referee was a Luton fan after Forest were denied what they believed to be three clear penalties.

Luton are the team directly below Forest in the table.

The statement has triggered criticism of Forest and could result in punishment for the club, which are also waiting for the outcome of an appeal following their four-point deduction for breaches of profit and sustainability rules.

Amid all that distraction, it must be noted that Forest’s form on the pitch has been lacking.

They have won just two of their last 15 league games and kept one clean sheet in their last 24.

But Forest will be encouraged by a performance where they created chances and went toe to toe with City.

Chris Wood headed over the bar before missing a simple tap-in when Gonzalo Montiel cut back and the striker only had to slot into an open net but fumbled the shot.

Wood missed another great chance when Anthony Elanga cut the ball back for him, but a tame effort from 10 yards was gathered by Ortega.

With games against relegated Sheffield United, mid-table Chelsea, and a potentially decisive match on the last day against relegation rivals Burnley to come, Forest can take strength into those fixtures, knowing there is no-one to save them from the drop but themselves.

The post Haaland scores as Man City fend off Forest appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

Forest levelled 12 minutes later through Chris Wood, who finished off Anthony Elanga’s cross.

But centre-back Micky van de Ven restored Tottenham’s lead in the 52nd minute with a thunderous shot from the edge of the penalty area that found the top corner.

And six minutes later, Pedro Porro netted a third for Spurs, hammering in James Maddison’s pass across goal.

Victory meant Tottenham moved above Aston Villa on goal difference, having played one game fewer.

Nottingham Forest stayed 17th, only outside of the drop zone, thanks to their superior goal difference over Luton.

Van de Ven continues superb season

Tottenham dropped out of the top four on 17 February and had passed up chances to go back above rival Aston Villa in recent weeks, losing to Fulham and drawing with West Ham.

But Sunday’s results means Ange Postecoglou’s side are now in a brilliant position to finish fourth and guarantee Champions League qualification after a one-year absence from the competition.

And even if Tottenham do miss out on fourth place, fifth may be enough to qualify for the Champions League.

England is in a strong position to claim one of Uefa’s ‘Performance Slots’, allowing an extra Premier League side to enter Europe’s premier club competition.

Tottenham were matched by Forest in the first half but restored their lead in a dominant second period through an unlikely source.

Van de Ven has been a revelation in defence this season. Spurs have won 13 and lost just two of the 20 Premier League matches he’s played in.

With Tottenham pressing, the 22-year-old regularly found himself pushing into midfield. Picking the ball up on the edge of the box, he took his chance superbly for his goal, his second in the Premier League.

Tottenham captain Son Heung-min also had an effort tipped on to the post by Forest keeper Matz Sels in the closing stages.

The north London side continue their push for the top four when they visit Newcastle next Saturday.

Forest ponder what might have been

Nottingham Forest recorded a fine 3-1 win over Fulham last time out to end a six-match winless run, but were second best against Spurs.

That said, the visitors did have plenty of bright moments as their manager Nuno Espirito Santo faced his former employers for the first time.

Defender Murillo almost netted a goal-of-the-season contender, spotting Tottenham keeper Guglielmo Vicario off his line and attempting to lob him from well inside his own half. His shot though dropped just wide.

And there were further ‘what if?’ moments just after Wood’s equaliser.

Vicario could only parry Ryan Yates’ low shot straight to Wood, but the forward smashed the rebound against the post from four yards out.

Tottenham midfielder James Maddison was then lucky to go unpunished after clashing with Ryan Yates, with Nuno claiming the player “punched Yates in the stomach”.

After Luton’s win over Bournemouth on Saturday, Forest were unable to give themselves a cushion over their relegation rivals.

They face Wolves at home in their next match in six days’ time.

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Forests were handed a four-point deduction on Tuesday for breaching the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules.

According to the Premier League, the City Ground landlords admitted breaching PSR by £34.5m above their permitted threshold of £61m.

The club, however, is at risk of breaching financial rules again next season if they don’t sell one of their top stars in the summer, and as such, Awoniyi has been noted as one of the top players that club co-owner Evangelos Marinakis could be forced to sell ahead of next season.

Awoniyi joined the Tricky Trees from Union Berlin for a club-record fee in region of £17.5m June 2022.

Since joining the Premier League club, he has become an important player for the club and one of the fans favourites.

Despite having his two seasons blighted by injury, the Nigerian forward remains Forest’s top scorer since joining the club, with 16 goals across the two campaigns.

So far this season, the 26-year-old has scored six goals, three short of Chris Wood, who is currently the club’s top scorer.

Premier League trio Newcastle, West Ham, and Southampton have been linked with a move for the former Liverpool striker, while FC Schalke 04 are also interested in the Super Eagles striker.

The four-point deduction has seen Forest drop into the relegation zone to 18th position, one point behind Luton Town, who moved up to 17th, with nine games to play.

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While flares were lit in the away end and Jurgen Klopp celebrated wildly with his team, Forest players surrounded referee Paul Tierney at the final whistle.

Coach Steven Reid was shown a red card as they fumed at the decision to give Liverpool the ball after Ibrahima Konate went down with a head injury shortly before the goal.

Forest had possession when the game was stopped but the game restarted with the ball at the feet of Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and the away side kept the ball, went down the other end and eventually found the winner.

It was Liverpool’s first league win at the City Ground since 1984 and ensures that they will be top of the table heading into next Sunday’s crucial match against champions Manchester City.

With the game goalless heading into the final seconds, and title rivals City and Arsenal still to play this weekend, Klopp’s side faced the prospect of falling to third by Monday night before Nunez’s last-gasp intervention.

Defeat for Forest leaves them just four points above Luton Town in the final relegation place having played a game more and with the outcome of their financial breach case still to be decided.

Forest had the best chance of a forgettable first half when former Liverpool forward Divock Origi’s through ball sent Anthony Elanga clean through but the attacker was denied by the outstretched left leg of Kelleher.

Luis Diaz and Andy Robertson came close for Liverpool either side of half-time before Elanga’s first-time shot fizzed wide at the end of a flowing Forest move.

As the away side continued pushed for a winner at the other end, clear chances were not forthcoming, but Liverpool kept going and were rewarded deep into stoppage time as Nunez expertly found the net.

Nunez ensures Liverpool title charge rolls on

Over the past 10 days, an injury-ravaged Liverpool have shown an enviable knack of just being able to find a way to win. Their young players have been at the heart of that but on Saturday it was their star striker who made sure that, somehow, they got over the line.

With the return of Nunez, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo to the squad, there was a slightly more familiar look to Klopp’s side in Nottingham, although they remain without a host of first-team players.

However, those senior players who have remained fit in recent weeks have been asked to go again, and again, and again – and for much of the game it showed. It was a tired performance from tired players with a precious little in the way of a spark.

The introduction of Nunez on the hour mark did not change the performance of the entire side but in the Uruguayan Liverpool have a one-man spark.

He immediately gave them a new dimension and while he is a better player than the ‘agent of chaos’ moniker he is often given, there is no doubt his presence regularly seems to discombobulate opposition defences.

As Liverpool pushed to break the deadlock, Nunez was always on the scene as the ball came into the box but it never quite bounced his way.

His chance came as the clocked ticked towards 99 minutes and – for a player derided for his wastefulness in front of goal – he was clinical. A header just guided into the corner to solidify Liverpool’s place at the summit.

A performance to forget but a victory to remember for Klopp’s men. They keep finding a way.

Forest fury after cruel late blow

With 98 minutes on the clock, Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo would surely have been happy as his side looked set to take a point off the league leaders courtesy of a solid, stubborn performance.

Perhaps his only frustration would have been their failure to make the most of a couple of very presentable opportunities in each half.

Two minutes later and he was left to come to terms with a brutal last-minute defeat and a healthy dose of perceived injustice.

Forest were adamant they should have had possession of the ball in the Liverpool third when play restarted after a stoppage for a head injury to Konate.

Instead, Liverpool were given possession and Forest were back defending again. That they regained possession a couple of times and had the chance to clear prior to the goal will do little to quell the feeling that they have been wronged.

Who knows what might have happened had they been given the ball back? What Forest know for sure is what happened after they weren’t.

With games running out there is no time for encouraging performances, they need points and will feel they had one snatched away from them today.

The post Nunez scores 99th winner as Liverpool beat Forest appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

They took the lead in the fourth minute, with Ollie Watkins tapping in his 14th Premier League goal of the season after brilliant work down the right by Bailey.

Douglas Luiz then scored twice in 10 minutes, first slotting home a Jacob Ramsey cut-back in the 29th minute, before heading in John McGinn’s right-wing cross.

Moussa Niakhate chested home his first Forest goal in first-half stoppage-time, before Morgan Gibbs-White dinked over the advancing Emi Martinez three minutes after the break.

Bailey secured the three points for the hosts, tapping into a vacant net after Watkins’ effort was saved following Forest losing the ball high up in their own half.

The result sees fourth-placed Villa open a five-point lead over Tottenham, who are not in action this weekend, and a eight-point gap over sixth-placed Manchester United, who lost 2-1 against Fulham at Old Trafford.

“That [the top four] is the goal for us,” Bailey told BBC Match of the Day. “We want to be in the Champions League next season.

“The key is to be consistent and take it step by step.”

Villa boss Unai Emery was more cautious though, telling Sky Sports: “It is still the same, if we arrive at game 33 in the same position, we maybe look to the Champions League; for now, it is about being in the top seven positions. We have to always be positive, and focus on each match.”

Emery’s side moved 15 points clear of eighth-placed Newcastle, who can close the gap when they visit Arsenal at 20:00 GMT on Saturday.

Forest remain 16th, four points clear of the relegation zone.

Villa get home form back on track

Villa’s charge into the Champions League places – and as possible title contenders a few weeks ago – has been based around an exemplary home record that saw them go 17 games unbeaten, winning 16.

Their slight drop-off in recent weeks has coincided with that run ending with successive defeats by Newcastle and Manchester United.

This win was earned in a rip-roaring opening half an hour where they consistently caused issues down their right wing.

The opener saw Bailey nip past Murillo, with his cross nutmegging Felipe and put on a plate for Watkins to tap home.

Both of Luiz’s goals came down the same side, with Ramsey showing brilliant composure to pick out the Brazil midfielder and McGinn’s cross pinpoint.

The three first-half goals mean Villa have now scored a league-high 27 in the opening period this season.

Emery will be disappointed by both of the goals they conceded, with Niakhete and Gibbs-White allowed unchallenged efforts on their goal.

However, with Europa Conference League football on the horizon again in a fortnight, he will be grateful for the gap his side are opening on their challengers.

“It was very important,” Emery told Match of the Day.

“We adapted well at Sheffield United and Fulham after defeats at home, but we needed confidence here and a reaction. We are feeling very comfortable and confident at Villa Park.

“We played a really fantastic match in the first half and only the first 15 minutes of the second half we had some doubts, but we stayed calm and reacted well.”

Enforced change sees Forest exploited

Forest had picked up 10 points from the first eight games of Nuno Espirito Santo’s tenure but they were blown away by Villa here.

They were forced into one change from their win over West Ham last weekend with Nuno Tavares missing out through injury, and Villa duly exploited centre-back Niakhete playing at left-back.

He was often out of position, dragging centre-backs Murillo and Felipe, who were both booked in the first half, wider.

Nuno was clearly furious with his side’s first-half display, opting to make a triple switch at the break, and his team were better in the second period.

At 3-2 Forest had a big chance to equalise when Anthony Elanga went through on goal but dragged his effort wide of the target.

Bailey’s goal came from efficient Villa pressing.

Forest have now scored 17 Premier League goals in Nuno’s time in charge – the same as in the first 17 games of the season under Steve Cooper – and that is a positive heading into the final stretch of the season.

However, their Premier League status may well depend on the outcome of the charge against the club for alleged breaches of profit and sustainability rules in their accounts for 2022-23.

“We started very bad, we conceded too easily. This is something we have to improve,” Nuno told Match of the Day.

“It is too easy for the opponent to score. We are always able to score, so we need to balance these two parts of the game.”

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On-loan midfielder Kalvin Phillips was shown two yellow cards in three minutes midway through the second half as he had another game to forget for West Ham.

Forest move up to 15th while Moyes’ side’s failure to bounce back from the 6-0 defeat against Arsenal last Sunday means they stay eighth.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side went into the game on the back of six defeats in their last seven home matches, but took advantage of the opportunity to face a West Ham side chastened by last weekend’s thrashing.

Striker Michail Antonio started for the first time since the middle of November, but the Hammers struggled to create any clear-cut chances.

After Phillips’ dismissal, Forest pushed for a second goal and were denied what they thought was a penalty when Maxwel Cornet stood on the ankle of Neco Williams.

Referee Tom Bramall spared Alphonse Areola’s blushes in the 90th minute after he let Danilo’s powerful effort squirm over the line – but Ryan Yates was judged to be offside.

Moyes now a man under pressure

He might have led the Hammers to a European trophy nine months ago and had them sitting a respectable eighth in the league, but West Ham fans are not happy with Moyes.

The London Stadium was half empty at half-time last Sunday as Arsenal went into the break with a 4-0 lead, with two more goals still to come.

West Ham fans travelled to the City Ground hoping for a response, but it was tame at best, and a ‘Moyes Out’ banner could be seen from the away end.

“What more do you want?” is a question poised to discontent Hammers fans – but it is also true to say they have lost their last three games without scoring a single goal.

Lucas Paqueta’s absence is a significant blow for Moyes, but Hammers fans will point to a squad that is stronger than most the club has had and say the Scotsman should be doing more with it.

Moyes will know the home game against Brentford is one he dares not lose.

Hudson-Odoi hits purple patch

Hudson-Odoi made his Chelsea debut in 2017 and was soon regarded as one of the Premier League’s most exciting prospects – with Bayern Munich’s interest in him proof of the potential he had shown.

A full England debut followed against Montenegro in March 2019 but an Achilles tendon injury the following month stalled his progress.

The 23-year-old has not been a fixture in the Forest side since his transfer in the summer, but his goal against West Ham was his third in consecutive games, suggesting the forward is enjoying life under new Forest manager Nuno.

Along with the powerful Awoniyi and gifted playmaker Gibbs-White, Forest will have a fine attacking trio that is the envy of the bottom half of the table if Hudson-Odoi maintains this kind of form.

Awoniyi was withdrawn with an injury, and if he is missing for any length of time, Forest will look to goals from the in-form Hudson-Odoi to ensure their top-flight status.

The post Forest ease relegation fear and add pressure on Moyes appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

It was Forest celebrating back in May when Taiwo Awoniyi’s goal not only assured their survival but also completed Arsenal’s misery as a late collapse made Manchester City champions.

On a cold night beside the Trent, Arsenal’s title ambitions were not on the line, but defeat was unthinkable, especially with Premier League leaders Liverpool the visitors to Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

And this was why there was an outpouring of elation from manager Mikel Arteta, his players, and the travelling fans when the final whistle sounded on a hectic five minutes of stoppage time, after what looked like a routine victory until Awoniyi struck for Forest late on.

It was not a night or performance without its stresses, not because Forest gave Arsenal any serious anxiety until those closing stages, but because for the first 45 minutes, the Gunners appeared to be sleepwalking towards the sort of result that could inflict damage on their season.

Arsenal lacked urgency and penetration in a lazy, lacklustre opening half, sucked in by Forest’s strategy of sitting back in blocks of defence waiting to hit them on the counter.

Too many passes, too many stodgy attacks, not enough chances. Arsenal might, with some justification, say they were being calm and measured, showing maturity, but there was no doubt a lot more was needed.

Second-half improvement gives Arsenal deserved win

Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus has now scored against 29 of the 31 sides he has played against in the Premier League

Arsenal stepped up the pace in the second half, getting a helping hand, or in this case foot, when they needed it as former keeper Matt Turner allowed Gabriel Jesus’ finish to bounce between his legs and in at the near post on 65 minutes.

Bukayo Saka got Arsenal’s second, and Gonzalo Montiel, the Forest culprit on this occasion, proved decisive despite Awoniyi’s goal momentarily threatening the most unlikely of comebacks.

It was a win Arsenal deserved to celebrate because this is just the sort of potentially hazardous fixture that can present itself and prove problematic in the course of a title pursuit.

There was a show of passion too, with a heated confrontation between defensive duo Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko after the final whistle, with the pair having to be separated by Arsenal’s backroom staff.

Arteta expressed his pleasure at the sight, taking it as a public demonstration of exactly what this result and the club’s tilt at glory mean to his players.

Arsenal keeper David Raya hardly had a save to make against a Forest side who barely laid a glove on their opponents, meaning this is a victory that can now be viewed in a wider context.

It meant Arsenal closed the gap on leaders Liverpool to two points before Jurgen Klopp’s side face Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday, putting them in good heart for when the two teams meet on Sunday in north London.

While it is stretching the point to suggest Arsenal have to make the encounter with Liverpool a “must-win” affair, it can certainly be regarded as a “must not lose” from both a footballing and psychological point of view.

Defeat would be desperately damaging, but confidence has been repaired by the 5-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace and this victory at Forest.

Arsenal ‘lack natural cutting edge’

Mikel Arteta applauds the away fans: only Liverpool and Manchester City (both 22) have earned more points away from home in the Premier League this season than Arsenal (20)

Arsenal also have a score to settle with Liverpool after losing 2-0 at home in the recent FA Cup third-round tie, when they had so many chances to score before almost inevitably falling victim to two late sucker-punches.

There is still a sense that Arsenal lack a natural cutting edge but there is also plenty to admire and they are right in the Premier League title race.

Jesus is the striker who must assume that responsibility and he delivered here, hitting the bar with a fierce strike before he was the grateful beneficiary of Turner’s blunder.

Arsenal were untroubled elsewhere, Forest’s risk-averse gameplan making it a relatively easy night for their defenders until Awoniyi emerged after being out with injury since October, finally giving them something to think about.

If we are approaching the pressure points well into the second half of the season, then Arsenal can certainly regard themselves as very well placed on the shoulders of the leaders.

And, after winning in the same place where they suffered such a harrowing defeat and experience last season, Arsenal will settle for that before Sunday’s colossal clash with Liverpool.

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But after Turner had redeemed himself with a fine save to deny Christian Eriksen, Forest counter-attacked, and Gibbs-White struck the decisive blow from a neat cut-back from former United forward Anthony Elanga.

After a tepid first half, Nicolas Dominguez opened the scoring as new manager Nuno Espirito Santo steered Forest to back-to-back victories for only the second time since being promoted back to the top flight.

It was another desperate night for Ten Hag, and it was in front of Sir Dave Brailsford, who will have a significant say in United’s on-field operations following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 25% purchase of the club.

It was United’s 14th defeat of a dreadful campaign, their highest number of losses before the end of a year since 1930–31.

United have been beaten four times in December alone and could end this round of matches in ninth place, just three points in front of Chelsea.

Another bad night for Antony

Ten Hag told Brailsford he did not want to speak to him yet because of the packed Christmas programme but has said he feels INEOS are looking forward to working with him.

Those talks are bound to happen in January, when United only have a single Premier League game, although whether Ten Hag will want to disrupt preparations before a potentially perilous FA Cup third-round tie at League One Wigan on 8 is open to debate.

It is clear one of the issues Brailsford and fellow INEOS representative Jean Claude-Blanc need to sort out as a matter of priority is recruitment, and there is no greater evidence of where United have gone wrong in that department than Brazil winger Antony.

It is 16 months since Ten Hag pushed to sign Antony, with United eventually paying £81m for the winger, making him their second-most expensive signing after Paul Pogba.

Sat together in the directors’ box, neither Brailsford nor Sir Alex Ferguson could possibly have been thinking his latest performance made the fee look value for money.

The winger’s supporters say he does not shirk work and can be trusted to track back.

That may well be true, but it ignores the point there is little end product from him.

Towards the end of the first half, Rashford presented him with a shooting opportunity inside the penalty area but before he could decide how to manipulate the position into a chance, Forest defenders surrounded him and the chance disappeared.

A few moments later, he shaped as if he was going to take his opponent on at the touchline but, stuck between going down the line or cutting inside as he prefers, he did nothing and the ball ended up going out for a throw.

When he was replaced by Amad Diallo after 54 minutes it meant Antony had failed to score or set up a goal in 21 consecutive appearances.

Amad cost £19m and did not do much to justify that smaller fee either – but the Ivory Coast youngster has only just returned from a serious knee injury, so judgement on him should be reserved.

Agony to ecstasy for keeper Turner

The relief on the face of Forest keeper Turner at the final whistle was clear for all to see.

The United States international had a shaky start to the game, with a couple of wayward passes putting the hosts in trouble as he attempted to follow Nuno’s demand to play out from the back.

His propensity to misplace passes ultimately proved costly as Rashford celebrated an equaliser where the blame lay squarely at his door.

An attempt to play out of his area was intercepted by the alert Alejandro Garnacho, who found Rashford and he applied a superb first-time finish.

Anguish soon turned to relief for the former Arsenal man, though. His save from Eriksen allowed him to start a counter that ended with Gibbs-White driving home his second goal of the season.

As Gibbs-White raced to celebrate with the Trent End faithful, at the other end of the field Turner was repeatedly punching the air.

He still had one more bit of work to do, repelling a deflected Bruno Fernandes effort as United pushed forward in desperation and the ruffle of hair from Moussa Niakhate underlined he had earned a memorable reprieve.

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Alexander Isak had seemingly put Eddie Howe’s side in control when he stroked home a penalty midway through the first half after going down under a challenge from Ola Aina.

But Newcastle only sporadically threatened in attack and always looked vulnerable to a rejigged Forest side set up to counter-attack at pace.

Morgan Gibbs-White dragged an early effort wide for the visitors, while Anthony Elanga missed two excellent opportunities before combining with the former England Under-21 midfielder to allow Wood to tap in a deserved equaliser against his old employers before the break.

Wood, who was Howe’s second signing on Tyneside, added to his tally shortly after the interval, racing on to Elanga’s pass and shimmying past home defender Dan Burn to lift the ball over goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

He capped a fine display with another composed finish after Murillo’s through ball sent him clear of an absent Newcastle defence.

Elanga and Gibbs-White both had chances to inflict further damage on the hosts, who remain seventh in the table after their fourth defeat in five Premier League games.

Wood and Gibbs-White star for revitalised Forest

Steve Cooper was sacked as Forest manager a week ago after presiding over a run of just one win in 13 top-flight games.

On this evidence, replacement Nuno Espirito Santo appears to have already begun to implement his own ideas to deliver some Christmas cheer to the City Ground.

Having made six changes to the starting XI that lost against Bournemouth on Saturday, he was rewarded by a purposeful display that saw Forest repeatedly cut through the visiting defence with some incisive counter-attacking.

Wood’s sharpness in front of goal belied the fact he was only starting his fifth league game of the season, having largely been utilised as a substitute by Cooper.

While the New Zealand striker will rightly take the plaudits for his match-winning contribution, others in red also excelled.

Forest captain Gibbs-White, who got the better of Bruno Guimaraes in midfield, could also arguably lay claim to being the game’s outstanding player and ought really to have capped a fine display with a couple of goals.

And aside from some wasteful finishing and a poor decision not to slide another first-half pass across to Wood, Elanga provided an excellent outlet for Forest on the right.

Newcastle’s impressive home run ends

While Newcastle came into this contest amid a poor run of their own, there was still an expectation that they would stretch their impressive home record to eight consecutive top-flight victories.

When Aina’s slight contact on the calf of Isak gave them a first-half penalty, which was duly dispatched, they were seemingly on their way.

However, the Swede struggled after that, heading a decent chance straight at Forest goalkeeper Matt Turner and also scuffing a low close-range effort in the second period that the United States international kept out with some help from Moussa Niakhate, who blocked Anthony Gordon’s follow-up attempt.

What would have displeased Howe the most was the way his side were repeatedly picked off on the break, as they fell to their first home defeat against Forest in the top tier since October 1988.

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Despite winning the ball, referee Rob Jones showed the Ivory Coast defender a second yellow card for his tackle on Adam Smith.

“I have seen it over and over again and I still cannot understand it,” Nuno said.

“It’s a mistake. I think he should have taken more time for VAR [the video assistant referee] to advise him. We and our fans deserve more respect – it’s not fair.”

It was another afternoon of controversial decisions in the Premier League, with Everton manager Sean Dyche angry after Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal was disallowed by VAR in the 2-1 defeat at Tottenham.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was also frustrated that his side were not awarded a penalty for handball by Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard during the 1-1 draw at Anfield.

Nuno, who took over at Nottingham Forest after Steve Cooper was sacked on Tuesday, said he wants to see a change to football’s laws which currently state VAR cannot intervene to downgrade yellow cards.

“It is more the frustration of knowing the approach of the referee is a bad one and the law says you cannot reverse the decision because it is two yellow cards,” Nuno said.

“It is something they have to look at because it doesn’t make sense.”

Boly was shown a first yellow card in the fifth minute after he took out Dominic Solanke, who completed a hat-trick in injury time to seal Bournemouth’s win.

“Boly has a first yellow card, which is fair, but then for the second the foot of Boly is under the foot of the Bournemouth player so the approach [from the referee] should be more cautious,” Nuno said.

“Wait a little bit for the help of an assistant or the help of VAR, hold your decision and they will tell you. But after that he cannot reverse the decision. It’s a bad decision for us as a club and especially our fans – they deserve more respect.”

The result – Forest’s sixth defeat in seven games – leaves the club just two points clear of the relegation zone above Luton Town, who have a game in hand.

Former Man City defender Micah Richards told BBC Match of the Day: “The referee has made a massive mistake. Boly clearly wins the ball. He gets there first and Smith stands on him I don’t understand how that can be given.”

‘You can’t take away the referee’s instinct’ – Dyche

Dyche meanwhile was unhappy with the decision of VAR to disallow Calvert-Lewin’s goal in Everton’s defeat at Spurs.

The Blues, who were trailing 2-0 in the 51st minute, looked to have pulled a goal back when Calvert-Lewin fired past Guglielmo Vicario after being put through by Andre Gomes who had dispossessed Emerson Royal just outside the area.

But replays showed Gomes had caught Royal’s leg, and VAR Michael Oliver told on-field referee Stuart Atwell to overturn his decision to allow the goal.

Gomes pulled one back for Everton with eight minutes remaining but they could not find an equaliser – leaving Dyche frustrated.

“The referee’s decision was what was missing today,” he told Premier League Productions. “We were outstanding after their second goal. We did everything we could to win the game, but today a massive decision goes against us.

“The referee has a great view, linesman has a great view, then VAR re-referees the game. For me, the game is in a terrible state for fouls and the VAR is finding a way to give fouls. I’m not in there to have a go at refs, but you can’t take away the referee’s instinct.”

Asked if VAR had helped out his side, Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou told his post-match media conference: “Why would it help us out? It was a foul.

“It didn’t help us out. I don’t like VAR. That’s part of the problem, people use that kind of terminology, that it helps or it goes against.

“It’s a tool, it’s used, I still don’t like it. Did it help us? I don’t know if it helped us. If that goal stood, we might have scored a third. That’s the beauty of football.”

‘I’m not sure how you can say it’s not a penalty’

The check for a handball against Odegaard came when Liverpool were 1-0 down at Anfield after a fourth-minute Gabriel header put Arsenal ahead.

The incident came after a free-kick was blocked and Mohamed Salah tried to flick the ball round the corner to run on to but Odegaard’s outstretched arm stopped the path of the ball.

VAR opted not to recommend an on-field review because they thought the Arsenal captain was withdrawing his arm, and bringing it closer to his body, rather than extending it.

“The penalty situation is a weird situation, I don’t know if the ref can see it, but you look at it and I’m not sure how you can say it’s not a penalty,” Klopp told BBC’s Match of the Day.

Speaking to Sky Sports he added: “I am pretty sure someone will come to explain it to me why it was not a handball, but I don’t know how?

“How can a guy in an office see that and not come to the conclusion that maybe, possibly it could be worth the referee having another look?”

Ex-England striker Alan Shearer added on BBC Match of the Day: “Arsenal got very, very fortunate. That is handball when you consider some of the decisions we have seen. I know he slips but he touches it twice. He didn’t fall, he didn’t land on the ground, they get away with that.”

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