That’s all from me. Thanks for reading and for your emails. Congrats to Forest. Until next time!
Will Unwin's match report from Molineux
Forest goalscorer and Wolves academy graduate Morgan Gibbs-White was voted player of the match by Sky. He’s come out for his post-match interview.
Their full backs were high and wide and caused us problems in the first half. Credit to Matz Sels and Murillo. But we stuck to the game plan.
There’s a lot of rivalry going on with me and Wolves. That’s football, it’s all banter. That’s the way I see it anyway.
I didn’t even know [Tuchel] was here. I’m just focused on my club football at the minute but it does put a little smile on my face to know he was here.
There’s a lot of belief here at the moment. There’s a lot of expectation from the fans. It would be amazing to being Champions League football to the City Ground. We believe in it. The owner believes in it. We’ve got to take it game by game, though.
Forest have not won six in a row in the top-flight since a run of seven games in 1979 under Brian Clough.
Nottingham Forest are now level on points with Arsenal in second place. Could they really be playing Champions League football next season? Remember that fifth place this season may well be enough to secure qualification for elite European football in 2025-26.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 19 | 28 | 46 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 20 | 21 | 40 |
| 3 | Nottm Forest | 20 | 10 | 40 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 20 | 15 | 36 |
| 5 | Newcastle | 20 | 12 | 35 |
| 6 | Man City | 20 | 9 | 34 |
| 7 | AFC Bournemouth | 20 | 7 | 33 |
| 8 | Aston Villa | 20 | -2 | 32 |
| 9 | Fulham | 20 | 3 | 30 |
| 10 | Brighton | 20 | 1 | 28 |
| 11 | Brentford | 20 | 3 | 27 |
| 12 | Tottenham Hotspur | 20 | 12 | 24 |
| 13 | Man Utd | 20 | -5 | 23 |
| 14 | West Ham | 20 | -15 | 23 |
| 15 | Crystal Palace | 20 | -7 | 21 |
| 16 | Everton | 19 | -10 | 17 |
| 17 | Wolverhampton | 20 | -14 | 16 |
| 18 | Ipswich | 20 | -15 | 16 |
| 19 | Leicester | 20 | -21 | 14 |
| 20 | Southampton | 20 | -32 | 6 |
Full-time: Wolves 0-3 Nottingham Forest
That is Forest’s sixth win in a row!
GOAL! Wolves 0-3 Nottingham Forest (Awoniyi 90+4)
Nottingham Forest score from … you’ll never guess … from a counter attack. Milenkovic clears wildly and Forest stream up the pitch. A pass finds Ward-Prowse, who squares calmly to Awoniyi, who taps into an empty net! It’s three!
Updated
90+2 min: Nothing to report, sadly. Wolves have possession but are not threatening. Forest fans ask Nuno to give them a wave, and the manager duly obliges.
90 min: Four minutes added on. Wolves fans are beginning to leave their seats. They have seen enough.
89 min: Awoniyi almost scores with his first touch. Murillo lumps a hopeful clearance into the heavens, Doherty fails to deal with the bounce and limply heads back towards his keeper. Awoniyi is onto it in a flash and toe pokes his shot through the legs of the onrushing José Sa, with the ball trickling just wide!
88 min: Forest seem content to bring off arguably their two best players: Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood. Taiwo Awoniyi and James Ward-Prowse come on.
87 min: Wolves have a few problems but are simply not committing enough men forward.
85 min: A brief VAR check, as Yates clatters into Strand Larsen’s head in the Forest area with some flailing arms. It was clumsy rather than cynical. No penalty.
83 min: Corner to Wolves, dealt easily by Forest. This is becoming a trend. That was Wolves’ 25th cross of the night.
Updated
82 min: Wolves are in a quandary. Forest are defending deep so there is rarely any space between the lines. Wolves do not have the numbers or the aerially dominant players to win headers from crosses into the box. The hosts need a slice of luck, perhaps from a set piece, or a long-range effort.
Updated
80 min: A rare lull in this exciting game, which will suit Forest just fine.
76 min: You have to say that Forest are managing this game magnificently. The visitors are happy to defend deep and seem to win everything that comes into their box aerially. With the ball, they still look a threat on the counter-attack, although that will be slightly curbed now that Elanga is now off the pitch.
Updated
74 min: Further changes for Wolves: Pablo Sarabia and Carlos Forbs for Hwang Hee-chan and Goncalo Guedes.
72 min: Jota Silva makes an almost instant impact off the bench. The Forest wide man is first to a loose ball and volleys an audacious cross to the back post, where Hudson-Odoi is just unable to get his head on the ball properly. The bounce deceived him.
70 min: “Thomas Tuchel is seated right behind Robert Plant in the stands,” emails Tim Smith. “I have Tom as a Zep fan?”
“Cue joke about Kloppo = heavy metal, Tuchel = noodly prog soloing here” quips Oliver Beige.
Updated
68 mins: More subs, this time from Forest: Jota Silva and Ryan Yates come on for Elliot Anderson and Anthony Elanga.
66 min: Forest are nearly undone by their own strategy as Wolves fly forward on the counter attack. Guedes carries the ball a full 50 yards, squares the ball to Strand Larsen and the big Norwegian strikes fiercely at goal from 20 yards out. Sels makes an excellent save at his near post, particularly as replays show that the shot got a slight deflection on its way through.
64 min: This is increasingly a game of crosses. Wolves are next to try their luck as Ait-Nouri reaches the byline on the left, but again nobody is there to tap the ball in at the back post. Wolves need to commit more bodies into the box if they are going to continue with this tactic, particularly as Forest now have three centre-backs on the field.
62 min: Chance for Anderson! A very similar opportunity to Forest’s opener, as Elanga turns on the burners on the right wing before cutting the ball back to the penalty spot, where Anderson sidefoots at goal. A block from Doherty sends the ball behind, though.
60 min: A flurry of substitutions: Wolves bring on Mario Lemina (for his first appearance since the Gary O’Neil era) and Bellegarde for Pedro Lima and Tommy Doyle.
Forest also make a sub which means a change of shape: Morato, a centre-back for Dominguez, who was booked. Nuno is signalling that means Forest will change to five at the back, with Aina and Williams as wing backs.
58 min: Goncalo Guedes is operating as a sort of No 8/No 10 hybrid tonight, but it’s clear he’s not really cut out for central midfield. Guedes is a fine player on his day, but he’s a wide player at heart. The Portuguese has his pocket picked by Dominguez and flattens the Argentinian, and picks up a yellow card.
55 min: Wolves press forward and Forest so nearly repeat the counter-attack trick, with Aina flying forward from right back at absurd speed. Elanga was screaming for a through ball but Ait Nouri got a crucial block in and Joao Gomes tidied things up nicely.
53 min: This is a message for Miguel, a lifelong Wolves fan who I’m told is reading this MBM and has a big day on Thursday. Keep going, pal. And it sounds from an email I have received that you have a wonderful set of family and friends, including Jared, Magnus and Sarah.
Updated
51 min: Wolves have a corner. Easily cleared. A reminder that the hosts only have one centre back on the pitch and aren’t particularly blessed with height. Only Liverpool have conceded fewer goals than Forest (one) from corners this season.
49 min: Wolves try to build from the back and José Sa very nearly plays a terrible pass to Joao Gomes, who is under heavy pressure from Gibbs-White on the edge of his own area. But Joao Gomes is strong and wily, shrugs off the Forest man and clears the ball, before telling José Sa to not be a dozy prat.
47 min: Forest take a free-kick short, a routine off the training ground, and Elanga pings a beautiful cross from wide right into the ‘corridor of uncertainty’ between defence and goalkeeper and only a brilliant defensive touch from Joao Gomes keeps the score at 0-2.
Peeeeeeeeep! We’re underway again!
Half-time reading:
Half-time: Wolves 0-2 Nottingham Forest
Ouch.
45+2 min: This has been a sickening half for Wolves, but only because of how well they have played.
45 min: Two minutes added on here. Forest have had two shots on target and scored two goals.
GOAL! Wolves 0-2 Nottingham Forest (Wood 44)
Wolves are punished as Forest hit them on the counter attack yet again! Hudson-Odoi isolates Doherty on the left wing, beats the Irishman in a footrace to the byline and cuts the ball back to Wood, who finishes simply past José Sa from the six-yard box. Wood was the only attacker in the box, but Wolves could not mark him properly.
Updated
41 min: Another wonderful cross from Pedro Lima for Wolves splitting the Forest six-yard box in two, but Strand Larsen is nowhere to be seen and the ball flies away safely. Wolves are really missing Cunha.
39 min: Hwang looks a real threat for Wolves, who are still pushing for that equaliser.
37 min: “How CAN these referees be SO inconsistent in applying the rule concerning handball?” emails Richard T. W. Arthur. “The Premier League refereeing is a laughing stock, the VARefs being even worse than the on-field refs who increasingly rely on them”.
Not sure I agree that they are a laughing stock. That was a tight decision and could easily have gone either way. But I do think VAR is complete farce, completely ruins the flow and enjoyment of a game, especially for the match-going fans.
35 min: Forest are definitely coming back into this. This is a fine game. End to end.
32 min: A huge penalty appeal from Forest! Oooooooh, Ait-Nouri is a very lucky man, as Elanga’s cross clearly strikes the Wolves defender on the arm. Ait-Nouri did have the arm by his side, but there was a fair distance between him and Elanga. You have definitely seen them given. VAR had a look but chose not to award a penalty, likely because the decision was not given on the field of play.
30 min: Yellow card for Dominguez, who upends Goncalo Guedes in midfield. No complaints. Both Forest central midfielders – Dominguez and Anderson – are now on bookings.
28 min: Point-blank save from Sels! How on earth are Wolves not level?! Rodrigo Gomes cuts in from the left wing, whips an unreal cross with curl and zip right onto the head of Strand Larsen, who has the whole goal to aim at from six yards out, but plants his header right into the right arm of Sels! A yard either side and that was a certain goal. I can’t decide if it’s a poor finish or amazing goalkeeping, probably somewhere in between. The third big chance that Strand Larsen has spurned.
Updated
26 min: A half-chance for Forest, as Elanga gets to the byline and crosses. The ball comes out to Wood, but Doyle gets an excellent block in on a thunderbastard of a shot.
24 min: I think it’s probably useful to Tuchel to be at a match with only four English players,” emails Kári Tulinius. “Then he can really focus on the totality of their performance, rather than trying to keep an eye on many. That said, Tuchel strikes me as someone who simply enjoys watching football, so he might just be taking the opportunity to watch as many games as possible while on the job”.
Yeah, not to get too Roy Keane about things, but watching English players play football is literally his job. He seems to earn brownie points every time he is spotted at a game, but there are harder ways to earn his £5m salary than being driven about the country, eating fine food (and wine?) and watching elite football from the hospitality seats.
22 min: Wolves have been by far the better side, but remain behind to that decisive Forest counter-attack and Gibbs-White finish.
20 min: Pedro Lima, on Premier League debut, puts a beautiful early cross in towards Strand Larsen, who swings and misses with his favoured right foot, just a few yards from goal. That was more than a half-chance.
18 min: Penalty shout for Wolves! A hopeful pass forward bounces awkwardly in front of Callum Hudson-Odoi, who is just inside his own box. Does that strike his arm? It looks like the ball hit his chest and then his arm, which was down by his side. No penalty given, and the decision is confirmed by VAR.
17 min: This is a frantic game. Anderson, who has started poorly for Forest in front of Tuchel despite his side taking the lead, picks up an early booking for a late challenge on Doyle.
Updated
15 min: Two golden chances in a minute for Wolves! Anderson gives the ball away for Forest and Hwang springs forward. His cross-shot finds Strand Larsen at the back post but Murillo is there to clear off the line for the visitors. The ball is recycled for Wolves, and a cross comes in towards Rodrigo Gomes, who takes a sumptuous first touch and volleys fiercely at goal, brilliant save from Sels! Forest hanging onto their lead!
13 min: Wolves respond well, building play nicely through midfield but the move breaks down when Doyle decides not to shoot on the edge of the area, instead playing a heavy pass to Pedro Lima.
11 min: Some stats that will not make for pretty reading for Wolves fans hoping to get back into this game. Forest have the joint highest clean sheets in the Premier League, are second in goals conceded and have lost just one game this season when they have scored the first goal of the match.
Forest can now sit back, soak up the Wolves pressure that will inevitably come and try to repeat their first goal by scoring on the counter-attack.
Updated
9 min: I should mention Gibbs-White’s celebration. He cupped his ear to the home fans that were booing him just a few moments earlier.
GOAL! Wolves 0-1 Nottingham Forest (Gibbs-White 7)
It just had to be Gibbs-White! A classic 2024-24 Nottingham Forest goal, as they hit Wolves on the counter-attack. Wolves press high but are undone with one pass into midfield. Gibbs-White finds a pocket of space behind Wolves’ midfield, runs at the defence, exchanges passes with Elanga on the edge of the hosts’ box and sidefoots a neat one-touch finish inside José Sa’s near post!
Updated
4 min: Nuno may have got a decent reception on his return to Molineux, but Forest playmaker Gibbs-White, a Wolves academy graduate, is being roundly booed whenever he touches the ball.
2 min: Looks like Wolves are lining up in a back four. From left-right: Ait Nouri, Bueno, Doherty, Pedro Lima.
Updated
Peeeeeeeep! We’re underway in the Black Country.
The teams are out! Nuno gets a warm reception on his return to Molineux. Wolves are in their old gold, Forest in a changed purple number. Oooooof.
If Forest keep this form up, it’s not inconceivable that Hudson-Odoi could add to his three England caps. That left wing spot is definitely up for grabs. Anthony Gordon probably is the pick at the moment on form, with Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, Jamie Gittens, Eberechi Eze, Jack Grealish also in the reckoning. Am I forgetting anyone? I guess Bukayo Saka or Jarrod Bowen could play there, but not their natural position.
England manager Thomas Tuchel is also in the house. The only English footballers in either line up are Tommy Doyle (Wolves), Elliot Anderson, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Morgan Gibbs-White (Forest).
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Will Unwin, our man at Molineux tonight, checks in:
Wolves have conceded 10 goals from corners this season, more than any other team and it seems to be weighing on Vitor Pereira’s mind as he made his starting XI undergo extensive set-piece exercises in the warm to ensure they are up to scratch. Now to see if it will work ...
No Premier League team has had less possession this season than Forest, yet they can go level on points with Arsenal in second place tonight. Don’t expect Forest’s counter-attacking football to change tonight, especially with the pace of Hudson-Odoi back in the side.
The first email is from Peter Oh: “Happy Twelfth Day of Christmas! Speaking of a partridge in a pear tree, did you know that the Portuguese word for pear tree is pereira? This bodes well for Wolves fans expecting one last Christmas gift”.
Former Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui looks like he’s in trouble at West Ham.
Wolves’ ‘defence’ tonight is certainly … different. There is just one natural centre backs: Santiago Bueno. Doherty, Ait Nouri, and Pedro Lima are all full backs or wing backs.
Wolves manager Vitor Pereira has been talking about their shape to the cameras tonight:
Sometimes it is a hybrid system. Sometimes we play a back four, and sometimes with three defenders. I don’t want to play with three centre-backs. I want to play with three defenders. It’s different. Sometimes we press higher with our wingers.
Updated
Let’s unpack those teams a bit.
Wolves are much changed! Pedro Lima gets his Premier League debut (he has played twice in the League Cup this season) while Rodrigo Gomes, Jorgen Strand Larsen, Goncalo Guedes and Tommy Doyle all come back into the XI. Matheus Cunha is a big miss, he’s suspended. It’s not immediately clear who is captain, and Wolves have not announced that on their social media channels either.
Murillo and Callum Hudson-Odoi return for the visitors, having missed the win at Everton through injury. A big plus for Nuno.
Team news!
Wolves: José Sa, Doherty, Bueno, Ait Nouri, Pedro Lima, Doyle, Joao Gomes, Rodrigo Gomes, Goncalo Guedes, Hwang, Larsen.
Subs: Johnstone, Lemina, Sarabia, Forbs, Bellegarde, Meupiyou, Cundle, Pond, Okoduwa.
Nottingham Forest: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Dominguez, Anderson, Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Wood.
Subs: Carlos Miguel, Morato, Awoniyi, Ward-Prowse, Alex, Jota Silva, Yates, Sosa, Boly.
Referee: Peter Bankes
Preamble
It may not be a surprise to learn that there are more Portuguese managers (four) in the Premier League than English ones (three). Two of them – Vítor Pereira and Nuno Espírito Santo – meet today, with the latter returning to the club and the city he called home between 2017-2021.
Wolves under Nuno were brilliant: promoted from the Championship in his first season, he then secured back-to-back seventh-placed finishes in his first two seasons in the top flight before a mid-table campaign rounded off his time in the Midlands. Nuno bought well, largely compatriots including Diogo Jota, Rúben Neves, João Moutinho, Rui Patrício, as well as Raúl Jiménez (albeit from Portuguese giants Benfica), Adama Traoré (from Middlesbrough) and Max Kilman (from non-league Maidenhead United). With that squad, plus academy graduate Morgan Gibbs-White, it is easy to see why Wolves qualified for the Europa League.
Nuno and his Portuguese entourage created an identity and a legacy that survives today in the Wolves squad. The number of Portuguese speakers in the first-team squad is now in double figures (including four Brazilians), while the new-ish manager, Pereira, and six Portuguese staff members adding to the tally. Wolverhampton has changed, too, with Portuguese restaurants and cafes springing up all over the city (although I’m sad to report that the coffee shop, Aromas de Portugal, that featured heavily in our 2018 interview with Jota and Neves is now closed).
Anyway, welcome home Nuno, sort of. It remains to be seen what kind of reception the top-four chasing manager gets at relegation-threatened Molineux but this should be a lively and (very Portuguese) one.
Kick-off: 8pm GMT.
