Nottingham Forest News

Nottingham Forest didn’t add anyone to their senior ranks during the January transfer window and that likely means a busy summer.

Evangelos Marinakis wanted a new striker. However, a number of attempts proved fruitless and Forest chose to keep the pursestrings closed with the team currently sitting in third place.

Tonight, the focus turns towards the FA Cup fourth round against Exeter. Forest will face Ipswich on home soil if a win can be achieved and hopefully, a positive result can be obtained tonight.

Forest will likely go in search of new signings in the summer. The Reds could have European football on their agenda for 2025/26 and that will mean the squad needs reinforcements.

Nottingham Forest battle Tottenham for Richard Rios

According to Caught Offside, the Premier League could be a destination for Rios during the summer transfer window, with Forest and Tottenham leading the race.

It’s perhaps surprising that Forest would go in search of a new midfielder. Nicolas Dominguez, Ibrahim Sangare, Ryan Yates, Danilo and Elliot Anderson are all current options in the squad.

However, it seems as though the Palmeiras midfielder is in the sights of Forest and perhaps that could mean some movement when it comes to the midfield ranks next season.

The 24-year-old performer has made 108 appearances for Palmeiras, scoring nine goals and claiming six assists with the player very much in the mould of a number six.

MORE FOREST STORIES

Any club that wants to sign him will have to dig deep. Rios is protected with a release clause worth £83 million and although that won’t be the fee it takes to sign him, he still won’t come cheap.

Manchester United have showed interest in Rios

This link does feel somewhat flawed. Forest have a number of midfielders on their books and even if one or two leave it would still leave the team well-stocked in that area.

It was claimed in July that United wanted to sign Rios, according to Goal, although they do face a fight to be in Europe next season and that might rule them out.

The links to bigger Premier League clubs than Forest do suggest that the Reds aren’t overly interested or at least not quite as cemented in the race as some other clubs.

With Nuno Espirito Santo keen to work with a small squad, it’s unlikely that another midfielder will be signed – at least not unless a host of midfielders depart the City Ground in the summer.

Nottingham Forest are going to be active it would seem in the build-up to transfer deadline day which takes place on Monday.

The Reds haven’t done much at all yet. Wayne Hennessey has joined on a free after training with the club, whilst Andrew Omobamidele has joined Strasbourg on loan with a view to a permanent deal.

Evangelos Marinakis wants to sign a striker. Matheus Cunha is wanted by Forest this month but given he’s valued very highly by Wolves that might be a deal that proves tricky to do.

Igor Jesus is wanted by Forest too. However, David Ornstein believes that Jesus might well choose to stay put with Botafogo at least for another transfer window at the very least.

Another player Forest want is Yoane Wissa. His situation might be a little bit complex, however, with Jamie Redknapp thinking Wissa might be worth around £40 million.

Tottenham open talks for Yoane Wissa

According to Foot Mercato, the Premier League struggles are now locked in talks with Brentford over the signing of Wissa before the window slams shut on Monday.

The striker has bagged 11 goals in the Premier League this season and is very Brentford’s main man. Recently, Wissa remained coy over links to Forest and perhaps he would welcome a move away from the Gtech Community Stadium.

Thomas Frank wants to keep Wissa. He’s stepped up since Ivan Toney left Brentford to move to Saudi Arabia and losing him so close to the transfer deadline could be seriously detrimental to their season.

MORE FOREST STORIES

Tottenham’s interest might be telling, however. If there was absolutely no chance of him leaving this month, would they really be entering talks with Brentford over a potential deal?

Forest might be in a better position to land him, however. Although Spurs could hand him European football this season, Ange Postecoglou’s team face a serious fight to get there next season.

Yoane Wissa stats 2024/25

At 28-years-old there is little in the way of sell-on value when it comes to Wissa and that might provide Forest with a minor cause for concern.

The Reds could do with a player who is proven during this transfer window. That way there would be no settling-in period and Wissa would be perfect in that sense.

However, with Tottenham now interested, Forest could find it even trickier to land Wissa during the current window and other options might need to be looked at.

In our view, it’s hard to imagine Wissa moving on during the current window. With that in mind, it might be one for Forest to revisit when the summer comes around.

Nottingham Forest emerged victorious over Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Boxing Day, thanks to a goal from Anthony Elanga.

The Swede was played through by Morgan Gibbs-White in the 28th minute, and Elanga raced on to and finished what was to be the only goal of the game at The City Ground.

The win saw Nuno Espirito Santos’ side keep third in the Premier League. A monumental achievement, but thoroughly deserved.

One of the standout performers vs Spurs had to be Elanga, as he has been all season for Nottingham Forest. This has been recognised by his teammates.

Anthony Elanga’s speed lauded by Callum Hudson-Odoi and Morgan Gibbs-White

Elanga took to Instagram after his goal and contribution to Forest’s victory, with a post that showed the winger pointing to the Forest badge.

Numerous Nottingham Forest first-team squad responses to this acknowledged his speed for the strike.

Callum Hudson-Odoi said that Elanga was ‘on flames’, whilst Gibbs-White hailed him as ‘him’.

MORE FOREST STORIES

Other notable responses included former Manchester United winger Mason Greenwood, Calvin Bassey, Nico Williams and finally Murillo – who was also integral vs Spurs.

How fast is Anthony Elanga?

As per stats from Opta [Via BBC] Elanga’s top speed in the Premier League last season was 35.9 km/ph, which makes him the fastest member of the Nottingham Forest squad.

The Swedish speedster isn’t the fastest in England’s top flight though. That currently is held by Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven (37.1 km/h), with Carlos Forbes (35.9 km/h) also ahead of him. Elanga sits third.

Nottingham Forest beat Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, in a game where Anthony Elanga bagged the only goal of the fixture.

Nottingham Forest fans were treated to a late Christmas present on Boxing Day, with Nuno Espirito’s side emerging 1-0 victors at The City Ground.

Forest had some standout players against Spurs. Elanga was quality, Murillo was a monster and Morgan Gibbs-White showed his excellence. It was a display by a team that truly looked like they belonged in third place in the Premier League.

But it was the travelling manager, Ange Postecoglou, who singled out one Nottingham Forest ace for his contributions at the end of the game.

Ange Postecoglou singles out Matz Sels for performance vs Spurs

The Aussie manager reflected on the game, and mostly on how it was unusual for Tottenham not to have scored during the Premier League Boxing Day clash.

Postecoglou begins: “It’s a bit of, like I said, game state. I kind of knew that if they can get a goal up, it was going to get even tighter for us to find space behind them.

“It was never going to be a game with a lot of opportunities. Having said that, I still thought we created some good ones and we just weren’t able to capitalise on them.”

Postecoglou then went on to single out Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels for his contributions to the fixture. He was a huge factor in keeping the Lilywhites at bay on Thursday afternoon.

MORE FOREST STORIES

“The keeper [Sels] has pulled off a couple of good saves to keep them in the game,” the Tottenham manager continued. “We just needed a goal to break them open and we didn’t get it.”

Matz Sels game by numbers vs Tottenham Hotspur

What a signing Sels has been for Forest. The veteran Belgian goalkeeper was bought in more so as a necessity and even Sels knew it was a risk to come – but has quickly cemented himself as one of the finest and most reliable shot-stoppers in England’s top flight.

This was proven against Postecoglou’s side, with yet another ludicrous display, topped off with a clean sheet.

Sels vs Spurs

Sourced from FOTMOB.

Sels’ save from Brennan Johnson was of particular importance, but there were countless fine stops from the 32-year-old.

The win against Spurs made it five in a row for Forest. Now, with a trip to Everton looming, can they make it six?

Nottingham Forest gave their fans the Boxing Day present they would’ve been hoping for as they beat Tottenham 1-0 in the Premier League.

In a game that featured Spurs fans criticising Brennan Johnson on his return to the City Ground, Forest beat Tottenham to climb to an unthinkable third place in the Premier League table.

Murillo received praise from Patrick Rowe for his display in the Forest defence, whilst Nuno Espirito Santo hailed the City Ground atmosphere that helped his side see off the possession-heavy Spurs in the second half especially.

Swedish winger Anthony Elanga scored the game’s only goal, his third successive game where he has found the net. Elanga praised Espirito Santo’s pre-season for its role in Forest’s incredible 24/25 season, with its effects on full display in all aspects of Forest’s performance against Spurs.

Here are five things we learned about Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 Boxing Day victory over Tottenham at the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest have the perfect possession antidote

Spurs dominated the ball against Forest, keeping 70% of possession in their eventual defeat. However, the Forest manager had clearly planned for this when analysing the winning goal.

In a picture-perfect counterattack, Morgan Gibbs-White drove forward into the space left behind before slipping the ball into Elanga who finished stylishly past Fraser Forster.

Forest fans mocked Ange Postecoglou for his side’s display against Forest, but would’ve been delighted to see how effortlessly Espirito Santo handled a possession-hungry side, a tactic that the majority of the Premier League likes to adopt.

MORE FOREST STORIES

Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo are amongst the Premier League elite

Another clean sheet for Forest against Spurs took them to seven for the season, with centre-back pairing Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo at the heart of the strong back line as usual.

Milenkovic won every duel he competed in against Dominic Solanke and co, whilst Murillo completed four tackles and ten clearances as Spurs piled on the pressure in the second half.

Damien Delaney compared Milenkovic and Murillo to Arsenal’s defence of Gabriel and William Saliba after the Brentford win, which would’ve seemed a crazy comparison at the start of the season but their form has warranted their inclusion in comparison’s with the Premier League’s elite defenders.

Matz Sels deserves his Nottingham Forest place

Forest have been linked with replacing Matz Sels in either the summer window or in January, but the Belgian has more than earned the trustof Espirito Santo and Evangelos Marinakis.

After Sels stopped a massive Johnson chance against Spurs that ensured three points for his side, the Forest owner should move away from looking for a replacement for Sels as any available funds would be best placed in other areas.

At 32 years old, Sels’ form isn’t showing any signs of slowing so Marinakis should repay the Belgian’s displays with a show of faith in the transfer window.

Nottingham Forest create breathing room in European race

The win over Spurs has opened up a five-point gap between Forest and sixth-place Bournemouth in the Premier League table.

With Manchester City a point behind Bournemouth on 28 points and surely due an improvement on their horrendous form at some point, any gap that Espirito Santo’s side can create will be valuable.

The Forest squad will be pushing as hard as they can to ensure they see out this remarkable European push to the end of the season and having distance between themselves and the chasing pack will help them immesurably.

Brennan Johnson isn’t missed at the City Ground

The Forest Academy graduate had a torrid time against Neco Williams down the Forest left, with the Welsh fullback winning eight of his 11 duels against the Spurs winger.

There could be a sense of bitterness from Forest fans about seeing one of their own line up against them, but the wingers in the Forest squad showed just why Johnson isn’t missed.

Nottingham Forest made it four consecutive Premier League wins on Boxing Day, edging out Tottenham Hotspur thanks to an imperious defensive display.

Anthony Elanga scored the only goal as Forest beat Tottenham 1-0 on the Premier League’s traditional festive fixture day, seeing them rise up to third in the league table.

Whilst goalscorer Elanga deserves recognition, it was a day for the Forest squad to show their defensive capabilities against one of the Premier League’s most potent attacks.

Murillo impressed Patrick Rowe with his contribution to the defence, whilst Nikola Milenkovic was at his commanding best alongside the Brazilian.

Spurs did have a few good chances, however, with one in particular falling to Forest Academy graduate, Brennan Johnson. Spurs fans criticised Johnson for his display, but he was somewhat unlucky in finding Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels in tremendous form.

Matz Sels on ‘important’ save to deny Brennan Johnson

Speaking after the game, Sels was quick to return to his smothering save against Johnson, which was one of the key moments en route to another clean sheet.

Sels said: “It was an important moment in the game, of course. If they equalise there it’s a different game but I will be there, or try to be there for the team in the difficult moments. It’s nice to keep a clean sheet.”

MORE FOREST STORIES

The Belgian goalkeeper’s contribution was clear, but playing in front of an in-form defensive duo like Murillo and Milenkovic certainly helps, a factor that Sels was keen to stress.

He said: “It’s truly a pleasure to play with my two centre-halves (Murillo and Milenkovic) before me because we have a lot of confidence so we try to keep going.

“For the moment, we are defending really well which is a big positive. I think, in certain moments, we know that we need to defend with all 11 players which we’re doing quite well.”

Whilst his defence was impressive, Sels’ stats against Spurs highlight his crucial role in Forest’s victory.

Matz Sels’ impressive Nottingham Forest stats in Spurs win

Sels produced a star display against Tottenham, with his four saves amounting to an xG prevented of 0.93 goals, highlighting how likely Spurs would’ve been to score on another day.

It wasn’t necessarily a game for Forest to pass out from the back effectively, so Sels’ seven accurate long balls were crucially important to help get his side further up the pitch.

Sels also managed to deny Johnson a goal in the first half, tipping over a strike from the Welshman that looked destined for the top corner.

Nottingham Forest continue to fly high in the Premier League, with Nuno Espirito Santo defeating his former employer Tottenham Hotspur 1-0.

Forest players performed really well vs Spurs, but it was Anthony Elanga who got the only goal of the game when Morgan Gibbs-White played a super ball through to the Swede, who converted with aplomb.

The win now sees Nottingham Forest remarkably sitting third in the Premier League table, with just Chelsea and Liverpool ahead of them.

Tottenham, on the other hand, have had a series of bad results, which leave them 11th and has cast further doubt over the future of their manager, Ange Postecoglou.

Something that Forest fans were sure to remind the Australian about.

What Nottingham Forest fans sung to Ange Postecoglou

The Forest faithful could be heard singing, ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ to Postecoglou just before the 45-minute mark.

Sky Sports reported: “Here come the ‘Sacked in the morning’ chants aimed at Postecoglou from the Forest fans.

MORE FOREST STORIES

“Tottenham supporters will once again be frustrated with their team, their decision-making and lack of precision when in promising positions has ruined their first half.

“That, and the performances of Forest centre-backs Murillo and Milenkovic, who have both been excellent one-on-one.

“Two excellent saves from Sels have helped too.”

Nuno was sacked for Postecoglou to make way

It’s funny that Nuno was the man to be sacked for Postecoglou to be brought in at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Now the contrasting situations between the pair couldn’t be any different.

Where Forest will finish in the Premier League this season remains to be seen, but given the recent results against some of the top-flight ‘big sides’, the Champions League is becoming more and more of a possibility.

Nuno won’t be getting ahead of himself anytime soon, but the prospect of moving into 2025 among Europe’s elite is a massively exciting one for Forest supporters.

Nottingham Forest fans enjoyed the perfect Boxing Day as they watched their side beat Tottenham 1-0 in the Premier League.

Forest’s win over Tottenham was enough to see Nuno Espirito Santo’s side rise to third in the Premier League table, above their opponent’s rivals, Arsenal, in the race for European football.

Anthony Elanga scored once again for Forest, in what was the only goal of a game that was dominated by the strength of the Forest squad’s defence against their free-scoring opponents.

Murillo was praised by Patrick Rowe for his role in the Forest backline who faced up against top stars such as Heung-Min Son and Dominic Solanke at the City Ground.

Another of Spurs’ attacking threats was former Forest man Brennan Johnson, but his new fans made it very clear that they weren’t too impressed with his performance against his old club.

Spurs fans criticise Brennan Johnson’s performance vs Forest

Taking to social media throughout the match, Spurs fans were very disappointed with the performance of Johnson, who is a former Forest Acadamy graduate.

One Spurs fan said: I’ve said this for a long time, I’ve never rated Brennan Johnson,” whilst another added: “We used to watch Gareth Bale but now we’re watching Brennan Johnson.”

MORE FOREST STORIES

Another Tottenham fan said: “It’s very, very painful watching Brennan Johnson.” With another saying: “Brennan Johnson is really not that good.”

More Tottenham fans continued to voice their displeasure, with one saying: “Tottenham are a much better team when Brennan Johnson isn’t in it,” Whilst another added: “Brennan Johnson doesn’t start for Forest right now by the way.”

Brennan Johnson struggled against Neco Williams

It was clear to see why Spurs fans were frustrated with Johnson given that he missed their best opportunity in the first half, which Matz Sels managed to save.

Other than that miss, Johnson didn’t complete a single one of his three attempted crosses and contributed nothing with his five touches in the Forest box.

He also lost seven duels against fellow Welshman Neco Williams, who had the better of Johnson throughout the match.

What was likely most frustrating for Spurs fans but most satisfying for the Forest supporters was that whilst Johnson struggled, both Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi starred in the match.

Johnson may have been a fan favourite at Forest, but performances like today’s in comparison to Forest’s current wingers, show that the club made the right call in letting Johnson go.

Nuno Espirito Santo will be hoping to oversee another big three points for Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day when Tottenham visit the City Ground.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has come in for some critique this season, with a 6-3 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday leaving the team inside the bottom half of the Premier League table.

There will be some extra incentive on Boxing Day for Espirito Santo, however, given that he was dismissed following a pretty drab 17-game period in charge of Tottenham.

That threatened to tarnish his reputation as a head coach in England but Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis gave him the platform to rediscover himself and he’s not looked back.

Brian Laws hailed Espirito Santo on Saturday and now it appears that he’s got another admirer in the form of the current Tottenham boss.

What Ange Postecoglou has said about Nuno Espirito Santo

Daniel Levy does look likkely to pledge his faith in Postecoglou, with Spurs currently experiencing a high number of injury problems.

However, he does need some positive results and quickly, if they’re to climb up the Premier League table.

Postecoglou has been quizzed on Espirito Santo ahead of the game on Boxing Day and it would appear that the Reds incumbent is rated highly by the Australian.

MORE FOREST STORIES

He said in his press conference: “No, I followed Nuno’s career for quite a while. He had a couple of my players, Australian players at times, in his teams. I’ve got great admiration for him because he went through a similarly tough time where people just liked to write people off. Even though he’d done a great job at Wolves, he obviously came here and it didn’t work out for him, which just happens. But he’s shown he’s a top manager and as I said, he’s doing a fantastic job at Forest.

“You’ve got to think, the last couple of years, the last few years, the teams that have come up have really struggled. Forest have thrived. They’re one of the few that have really thrived since they’ve gone up.

“Great credit goes to him and the way he’s managing. I think he’s a good guy. I’ve only come across him a couple of times. You get the sense of what kind of people they are. He’s a good guy, but he’s a top manager.”

Espirito Santo can compound Postecoglou misery when Forest meet Tottenham

Tottenham do have players who can hurt Forest and the Premier League contest will still be a hugely difficult game for the Reds.

However, as much as the team can score goals, they’ve showcased this seaosn that they’re also prone to conceding them at an alarming rate.

Forest’s all action style going forward makes the team seriously dangerous to Tottenham and if Radu Dragusin and Archie Gray play at centre-back, there is a real opportunity for Forest.

It won’t be an easy occasion for Forest but with the Reds at home for the first time in many years on Boxing Day, a racucous City Ground occasion might prove hard to overcome for a timid Tottenham right now.

Nottingham Forest have always had at least one academy graduate in their first-team ranks, but they’re cutting it thin right now as Ryan Yates is currently the only one.

Nuno Espirito Santo hasn’t shied away from rotating his team at times and providing opportunities to younger players, with Zach Abbott getting his chance in the Carabao Cup.

Paul Taylor was really impressed with Abbott after his performance in the cup, which has set him up for a potential feature once the FA Cup comes around.

Ryan Yates is one man who knows what it takes to rise from the academy and become a star in the first-team ranks at Nottingham Forest.

Being from the academy and understanding the club, David Prutton says that he thinks Yates is a player who actually does care about being a Nottingham Forest player.

Having seen his rise to stardom, Nottingham Forest have created a special plan for youngsters.

The special program Nottingham Forest have for a select few players

Brennan Johnson is another player who has set the benchmark for players coming through. His move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer shows exactly what’s possible if you make the most of opportunities.

Although, Nottingham Forest are going toe-to-toe with Spurs right now, and they hold a huge pull and power of their own, with many stars being born at the City Ground.

MORE FOREST STORIES

Interestingly, seeing Ryan Yates and Johnson’s rise has made the club create a specific program tailored to developing a certain handful of special talents.

According to the Athletic, players who are identified with the potential to become a future star are put through a special program to get them closer to the first-team.

Craig Mulholland said this.

“We have something called the ‘TPPP’ — the talented player performance programme.

“There are some players who will be identified as high-potential talents. It is our job to really push them. If we have the next Brennan Johnson coming through, we need to accelerate his learning. We delve deeper.

“Key aspects such as psychology, nutrition, performance, coaching, health and wellbeing, analysis and pathway are presented in a tailored performance dashboard.

“These reports will show if there are any areas where we need to push that kid, to prevent any barriers to him becoming a first-team player.

“We do wellbeing questionnaires every morning and the players wear Oura Rings, which monitor their heart rate. We know their stress and anxiety levels, 24 hours a day.

“They download that every night and our psychologist and wellbeing team can monitor it and see, for example, if a player is not sleeping well before games.”

Ryan Yates must still feature in Enzo Fernandez’s nightmares after the grilling he gave him on Sunday when Nottingham Forest travelled to Stamford Bridge.

He’s been entrusted by Nuno Espirito Santo to unofficially lead this side, and he does a perfect job of it, with Yates’ rallying cry before the Liverpool clash working wonders.

Because he’s not always involved in goals or assists, his performances often go unnoticed. He’s the one responsible for breaking up play and doing the dirty work for his side.

Every team needs a Ryan Yates.