Nuno Espírito Santo has made Nottingham Forest one of the quickest teams in the league with an ability to form attacks in transition and from turnovers in a matter of moments.
At Ipswich, Nuno’s 50th Premier League match in charge of Forest, the visitors moved swiftly in numbers, their strength coming from their unpredictability. Anthony Elanga constantly roamed in the pockets of space across the frontline, ultimately leading to his double in Forest’s 4-2 victory, while Callum Hudson-Odoi and Neco Williams often switched positions on the left flank.
But the one constant was Morgan Gibbs-White. Captaining the side and spurred on by “England’s No 10” chants and profanities aimed at Thomas Tuchel from the away support, Gibbs-White took charge in the middle of the pitch. His assist for Forest’s fourth marked his 40th Premier League goal involvement for the club, just four shy of Ian Woan’s club record.
“What they have to do is what they did today,” said Nuno of his players left out of Tuchel’s squad. “Work, play good, stay focused and humble and for sure Thomas Tuchel will take them because they are talented players that can help England.
“[Gibbs-White] is experienced enough to know that in this world, there are decisions to be made. One of the things we have is the versatility of our players. Some of our midfielders can play in the wide areas but Morgan can also drop back and give us another option. Plus his ability on the ball, his vision of the game. He dictates the tempo. Huge talent.”
Early on, he combined with Elanga and Hudson-Odoi to win a corner, which led to a Nicolás Domínguez chance, before winning the ball back and laying it off to Elliot Anderson, whose shot hit Chris Wood’s back as the striker tried to duck out of the way.
The visitors’ first shot on target came when Gibbs-White’s cross from the right found a speeding Wood. Situated between Luke Woolfenden and Jacob Greaves, the striker was perfectly placed to score the first goal of the game, but his header landed straight in Alex Palmer’s arms.
Forest’s dominance was rewarded with a 35th-minute opener after a mix-up at the back led to a corner that Ipswich’s Liam Delap failed to clear. Nikola Milenkovic was the quickest to react to the resulting cross, lashing a shot straight into the roof of the net to give the visitors a deserved lead. The second came two minutes later as Elanga got the better of a retreating Greaves after receiving a crisp pass out wide from Anderson. The winger quickly cut inside to shift the ball on to his left and bend the ball into the far corner.
And despite it being a sunny day, Forest proved rather quickly – as countless teams have done this season – that when it rains at Portman Road, it pours. Four minutes later, Elanga latched on to a long ball from Milenkovic. One touch with his head got the ball down, the second afforded him a yard of space before the third, a confident, slotted finish, tucked the ball under Palmer.
“The first and third goals in a six-minute spell turned a stable game into an impossible task at 3-0 down at half-time,” said Kieran McKenna. “The goals and the speed in which they came took away the opportunity for us to compete. They were terrible goals [to concede].”
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Ipswich, who also struggled to impose any attacking threat remain the only side in England’s top four tiers without a win in 2025. There was a moment of hope for the hosts in the 82nd minute after Jens Cajuste spun past his marker before whipping a shot into the top corner but it was short-lived jubilation after Jota Silva’s final dagger, with George Hirst’s header in added time a mere consolation.
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“[Our attack] has been a problem. We have tried to build steady cohesion as much as we could. Our execution was not good enough. We lost the ball in too many good situations,” said McKenna.
Omari Hutchinson showed off his technical skills with some impressive turns and Delap was a threat in behind but even when Forest let up, the signs were clear: this is not a top-flight-quality team. With nine points between them and a safe position, the Premier League flag atop the Cobbold Stand will very likely be gone come May.