Nottingham

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Chris Wood is your old-fashioned centre forward and he has been very good for Nottingham Forest so far this season.

He has always been a natural target man but Forest play to his strengths and it gives them a different dimension.

Wood's goal against Leicester was proper old-school. He rolled the defender and put it in the bottom corner. A centre-half in the modern game is not used to having to deal with a striker that likes a physical battle.

The game has changed so we now see so many teams using their number ten high up the pitch or a rotational number nine. There are not many number nines in any league now that are your target man like Alan Shearer and Didier Drogba were.

There has almost been a lost generation of those players, so it is nice to see Wood doing his thing and finding his form.

He is showing, once again, the importance of those type of strikers.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Pat Riddell
Fan writer

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Chris Wood is on the verge of greatness. The 32-year-old needs only three more goals to become Nottingham Forest's all-time leading Premier League goalscorer.

His exquisite double against Leicester City on Friday not only moved the Reds up to fifth (back down to seventh after the weekend's other results) but meant the New Zealand international has now scored 17 goals since Nuno Espirito Santo's appointment in December. Only Erling Haaland (18) has scored more non-penalty goals in that time.

Forest's rather meagre Premier League showing in the 1990s means that Wood has now drawn level with Stan Collymore's 22 goals and is just two short of Bryan Roy's long-standing record of 24. Another three goals before January and he will have achieved that within two years.

Not bad for a player who was routinely derided when he arrived from Newcastle United in January 2023. Admittedly he struggled to fit into our style of play at the time, and evidently needed a little time to settle.

That said, his single goal that season against Manchester City - just a month after arriving - was probably worth his £15m transfer fee alone. And the point earned that day proved a very valuable addition to the 38 gained that season, with Forest finishing 16th.

During the summer, it was widely expected that a big-money striker would arrive on Trentside. Names such as Eddie Nketiah, Santiago Gimenez and Omar Marmoush were reportedly in talks, which all ultimately fell through. And while Taiwo Awoniyi is still regaining his fitness, the squad is light on strikers.

But while Wood is in the form of his life, it is working out rather well.

His all-time statistics speak for themselves; 76 goals in 236 Premier League appearances. Just 60 players have scored more times in the top flight than Wood, which prove Forest's number 11 is no flash in the pan.

Find more from Pat Riddell at The Famous Club, external

On the latest episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton described Chris Wood as "one of the most underrated Premier League strikers he's ever seen".

Newcastle defender Dan Burn, a former team-mate of Wood - added that he does a lot of work that "the fans don't see" off the ball.

Listen to the full episode on BBC sounds

Liverpool are considering a move for Nottingham Forest's Brazilian centre-back Murillo, 22, but could face competition from Chelsea. (Teamtalk), external

Nottingham Forest have opened talks with 32-year-old New Zealand striker Chris Wood over a new contract. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Tom Gayle
BBC Radio 5 live reporter at King Power Stadium

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Before the start of the season, you would be hard pushed to find a Nottingham Forest fan who wouldn't have Morgan Gibbs-White in their best starting XI. For many, he would probably be the first name on the team-sheet.

However, the performances of Elliot Anderson in the number 10 role during Gibbs-White's two-game absence won't have gone unnoticed by manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

During their wins over Crystal Palace and Leicester City, Anderson's attacking metrics of chances created, completed dribbles, touches in and passes into the opposition box, comfortably surpassed the totals he achieved in his previous seven Premier League appearances for the club.

Gary Neville was part of the Sky Sports punditry team at Leicester City and he described the 21-year-old as "a hell of a player" of whom "there is so much to like". The former England defender also added Anderson "will take some shifting", even when Gibbs-White returns from injury.

It doesn't appear to be a question of playing one or the other.

Anderson and Gibbs-White have started six of Forest's nine Premier League games together this season. Yet it is Gibbs-White who has played in the number 10 role during that time, producing the form which led to him making his England senior debut last month.

One of Anderson's strengths is his versatility. He played every midfield position possible during his time at Newcastle United, as well as being a winger on either flank.

Under Nuno, he has largely been used as a defensive or left midfielder, before being utilised in the number 10 role due to Gibbs-White’s ankle problem.

Three seasons ago, the then teenager Anderson was on loan at Bristol Rovers in League Two. A consistent spell as an attacking midfielder saw him score eight goals and provide five assists across 21 appearances for the club.

I spoke to other members of the media at the King Power Stadium, who watch Nottingham Forest week in week out, and they were unanimous in agreement that number 10 is his best position.

Gibbs-White travelled to Leicester with the squad and when I asked Nuno for an update on the club's record signing, he said: "He's getting better. Every day we have to assess him. So let's see if he is available for the next game."

The speed of his recovery will dictate whether there is even a debate to be had over Forest's first choice number 10, but Anderson has already staked a claim.