Nottingham Forest underline their top-four credentials
Ipswich 2 - 4 Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest strengthened their grip on the Premier League’s top four with a commanding victory over relegation-threatened Ipswich at Portman Road.
The result had moved Forest to within a point of second-placed Arsenal (before their win over Chelsea) and edges them ever closer to securing Champions League football next season.
On the day Nuno Espírito Santo marked his 50th Premier League game in charge, his side ruthlessly exposed Ipswich’s defensive vulnerabilities in a devastating seven-minute spell during the first half.
Nikola Milenković set Forest on their way, capitalising on a fortunate deflection to fire home from eight yards after Ipswich forward Liam Delap had inadvertently nodded the ball into his path.
Barely two minutes later, the visitors doubled their lead as Ipswich crumbled. Elliot Anderson released Anthony Elanga down the right, and the Swedish winger was inexplicably allowed to charge unchallenged from just inside the Ipswich half before drilling a low shot into the far corner.
Forest’s third owed as much to Ipswich’s disarray as it did to Elanga’s sharp instincts. Milenković’s hopeful long ball floated beyond its intended target, Chris Wood, but Elanga nipped between three defenders before slotting past Alex Palmer to all but kill the contest before half-time.
Ipswich did manage a response when Jens Cajuste pulled a goal back with a superb curling effort, having spun away from Ryan Yates in midfield. However, any hopes of a comeback were swiftly extinguished when Jota Silva restored Forest’s three-goal cushion, finishing coolly after being played through by the influential Morgan Gibbs-White.
George Hirst’s late strike at least gave the home crowd something to cheer, but it was little more than consolation.
Kieran McKenna’s side remain in deep trouble, still 18th in the table and, worryingly, the only team across England’s top four divisions yet to win a league game in 2025.
More reaction
Fellow European Super Football contributor Kieran M told us: "I am starting to ask myself, what even is this season? I keep thinking I need to wake up. It has been unbelievable."
Andrew, another Forest fan, added: "The performance was impressive at times, but it reflects the high standards we fans have come to expect when conceding two goals to Ipswich feels annoying. It was encouraging to see Gibbs-White being a model professional and demonstrating his value to Tuchel. Europe is calling!"
