Nuno Espírito Santo is generally renowned as a safety-first coach, a manager who likes to build from a solid base, but increasingly Nottingham Forest are shooting from the hip, recording the highest number of shots in the Premier League over the opening games of the season. How they only scored once from their latest 16 attempts will be one for his analysts to dissect but, after Jean-Ricner Bellegarde equalised Chris Wood’s opener, Wolves will be relieved to have gained their first point of the season.
In their undefeated opening three games, Forest have had 53 shots; Nuno will expect a greater conversion rate as his new charges gel considering the attacking quality at his disposal after another busy summer transfer window.
For all the 10 new signings, however, Morgan Gibbs-White remains their most creative player. The new England call-up was again influential, unfortunate not to be on the winning team against his former employers. His manager, who gave him his Premier League bow when they were together at Wolves, is delighted for him. “It was a dream for him,” Nuno said, “something he worked really hard for. He deserves it and we wish him all the best. He’s enjoying his football. He’s a very humble boy, though, and he’ll say he can keep improving.”
The fans’ exchanges over Gibbs-White’s relative merits had barely subsided when the teams traded the two goals in a breathtaking opening 12 minutes. Wolves were much better defensively with Craig Dawson recalled after the 6-2 home thrashing by Chelsea, but retained a back four with Toti Gomes at left-back. The experiment to field Rayan Aït-Nouri on the left wing did not really work, though the Algerian almost scored in the opening moments when he was played in by Matheus Cunha. After his first effort nutmegged Matz Sels in the Forest goal, Murillo cleared Aït-Nouri’s follow-up off the line.
Forest went ahead when Wood – hardly a secret weapon for opposing defenders – was left free to power home a header from Elliot Anderson’s corner. Sam Johnstone seemed easily beaten, but the £10m debutant atoned later in the first half with a brilliant save from Gibbs-White’s free-kick arrowing into the top corner. “I was pleased with Sam,” Gary O’Neil, the Wolves manager, said. “What he had to do, he did well, and his kicking was good. When we had to go long, he put it in good areas the lads were prepared for.”
Forest fans had barely stopped celebrating when Wolves equalised. Mario Lemina won the ball which Bellegarde cleverly allowed to run across his body before dispatching a powerful 25-yard right-footer into the top corner. That was Wolves’s first goal from outside the penalty area in 47 games.
Forest now boast a wide array of attacking options, but the pick of them remains Gibbs-White. He sees different angles, different options. Anderson’s movement off the ball is superb and, 11 minutes into the second half, the £35m signing from Newcastle United was the recipient of Gibbs-White’s no-look chip into the inside-left channel of the penalty area. Wolves were relieved his shot deflected off Yerson Mosquera on to the roof of the net.
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Gibbs-White doesn’t just chip the ball; he scoops it up from the ground. It was from another of these, as the Wolves defenders did not dare dive in for fear of tripping his quick feet in the area, that Forest’s captain invited Wood to head goalwards from six yards out. Johnstone saved superbly.
Forest continued to dominate, with the City Ground at its volatile, hostile best, but Wolves had their close calls at the other end. Tommy Doyle’s 25-yard humdinger ricocheted just over the bar and, at the death, Cunha swerved a low shot just wide.
In between, O’Neil was booked for his protestations after a free-kick struck Wood on the arm in the area when the Forest striker was looking at his man. The home team could argue a header from Wood hit Jørgen Strand Larsen in the first half. “My reaction was passionate, human, but no abuse was given,” O’Neil said. “I said sorry to Simon [Hooper, the referee] but also that it was a penalty. It was interesting how close Simon went to blowing his whistle. He put it to the lips. But it’s been a good week.”
