Nottingham Forest

Manchester City are monitoring Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White, but the Reds are keen to offer the midfielder a new deal. (HITC), external

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Former Nottingham Forest midfielder Steve Hodge says Nuno Espirito Santo's current squad is "lightyears ahead" of the one managed by Steve Cooper in the promotion season of 2022-23.

Forest continued their impressive unbeaten start by stunning Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday with substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi scoring a fine winner off the bench.

"That team at the end had me thinking," Hodge told BBC Radio Nottingham post-match. "People liked the promotion team that got up under Steve Cooper but I thought that this team against Liverpool is lightyears ahead of that team in terms of maturity, experience, strength, power, speed off the bench, centre forwards.

"The squad in general is packed with young-ish but very experienced players who know the game really well.

"When you win at Anfield after 55 years you enjoy the moment. Whether by hook or by crook or by luck sometimes, the odd team has come here and won.

"Forest's win wasn't about luck. It was by planning, organisation and team spirit to dig in at the end. The subs coming on made a difference, the wide players were quick, direct and both involved in the goal that mattered.

"It was the perfect away performance."

When asked if it was the most impressive display since Forest's return to the Premier League, Hodge added: "By a country mile.

"To come here and keep a clean sheet when they've got a new manager, three wins out of three and are flying.

"You can nick a win anywhere but it was about how they won. It was comfortable."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions.

David asked: Phil, have the pundits underestimated how well Forest will do this season given the noticeable improvement in the quality of the squad?

Phil replied: Hello, David. I may have been one of the guilty ones you mentioned. I tipped them to finish 16th in my pre-season predictions but they will already be looking much higher.

They were excellent at Liverpool on Saturday and looked like a side very much in the Nuno Espirito Santo mould from his Wolves days.

They are solid at the back, where Murillo is a class act, while Morgan Gibbs-White is another fine operator in midfield with players such as Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga giving Forest the pace and width Nuno likes, making them dangerous on the counter attack.

James Ward-Prowse brings experience and quality to midfield while Alex Moreno is dependable at left-back. Elliot Anderson is another smart signing from Newcastle United.

It’s been a great start and a real platform to build on.

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Former Premier League midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker says Nottingham Forest were "spot-on" everywhere on the pitch to get a win against a strong Liverpool side.

"It was perfect tactics and everything worked how it was supposed to," Reo-Coker said on the BBC Radio 5 Live Football Daily Podcast. "I look at this Forest side and they are now a consistent staple-side in the Premier League. They are becoming a team that are tough to face.

"Nuno could not have asked for any more from his team and to get a result at Anfield you have to be perfect. That was what they were.

"It is hard to even be critical of Liverpool because they didn't play bad. Forest were just spot on!"

Listen to the Football Daily Podcast on BBC Sounds

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Here are some of your comments:

Liverpool fans

Geoffrey: Did anyone other than Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Luis Diaz break a sweat? Not quick or intelligent enough to see movement or find the right players. Far too slow in everything. Mohamed Salah - learn to pass properly. Awful display!

Vardon: An all too familiar scene played out in front of a frustrated home crowd, reminding all Liverpool fans that just tweaking things with the existing squad won't guarantee a win against well drilled and disciplined 'lesser' opponents. Poor passing and little creativity in the final third led to an exasperating spectacle. Time to reflect and adapt.

Fraser: What on earth happened to that patient style of play that helped us win our first three games? The moment we conceded we went into full panic mode, just as we did towards the end of last season. Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai were just not on point. It's still early days but I hope this is not the start of a slump.

Forest fans

Chris: Executed to absolute perfection. Perhaps Liverpool were unlucky not to get the lead but huge credit to Nuno Espirito Santo for not trying to drag out a draw. This demonstrates the huge leaps we are making. Going for a win with 15 minutes to go at Anfield? Unheard of.

Brian: Fully deserved win. Liverpool ran out of ideas and got outbattled in the middle of the park. We had the clearer chances second half and were always a danger on the break. Much more mature in final moments too - gamesmanship and professionalism. All subs were switched on and solid. Well played.

Graham: Our backline was tighter than my brother - and believe me, he is tight. I would love to wax lyrical about the Reds but we need a striker. Chris Wood is not the answer. Also, Salah had a bad game and how often do you say that?

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Former Premier League striker Alan Shearer spoke on Match of the Day about Nottingham Forest's performance against Liverpool on Saturday:

"They were absolutely magnificent from start to finish. They had a gameplan and it worked to perfection.

"You've got to be almost perfect when you come to Anfield, especially with the form that Liverpool are in - and Forest were. There was just no way through, no gaps or spaces in the midfield. They were really tight and compact and Liverpool just got frustrated with how well Forest were playing.

"There was no way through for [Mohamed] Salah against [Alex] Moreno, and on the other side with [Luis] Diaz and [Ola] Aina.

"They [the defenders] were fighting with each other to close Liverpool down and get in the way.

"This was no fluke, - this was absolutely deserved. What a win, and a great start to the season."

Catch up on Saturday's Match of the Day episode here

Gary Linker brings you highlights and analysis from Saturday's eight Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Liverpool 0-1 Nottingham Forest

• Aston Villa 3-2 Everton

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Nottingham Forest secured their first away top-flight win against Liverpool since February 1969, ending their 25-game winless run at Anfield in league competition.

Nuno Espirito Santo secured his first ever Premier League victory against Liverpool, having lost all seven meetings with the Reds coming into today’s game.

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Anthony Elanga spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live after Nottingham Forest's victory against Liverpool: "We come here to Liverpool and not many teams can beat them and play the way we did - we got rewarded with it at the end.

"This game reminded of the game we played at Chelsea [Chelsea 0-1 Nottingham Forest], it's a special win today.

"Me and Callum [Hudson-Odoi] spoke about it on the bench - 'when we come on we would make a difference'.

"We have started the season well, but we have still got 35 games left - we have to go game-by-game.

"Last season we played the big sides and played well, it was marginal difference and they were clinical - today we were clinical."

Callum Hudson-Odoi spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Saturday's win: "Everyone's morale is up, we are confident going into every game. We know in our heads the mentality has to be right and we are doing that as a team. The camp is good.

"I didn't start but I wasn't angry or disappointed, I am buzzing, we are all buzzing. It's nice to get the goals but it's just the start of the season and I can keep getting more."

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Nuno Espirito Santo spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live after Nottingham Forest's victory over Liverpool: "Realising Liverpool are such a good team it required a lot of effort from the players, the organisation, tackling and the covers.

"The only way to achieve anything here is if you are organised and do everything that you can.

"When you start the way we started with our wingers, Neco Williams and Elliot Anderson - all the effort of them tracking Liverpool's full-backs it is a lot of energy.

"The team needed fresh legs and they played well.

"We are working hard and it is about building and believing in this idea that you can develop."

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport journalist at Anfield

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Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo deserves huge credit for their start to the season.

All the talk was of Liverpool's unbeaten start under Slot - but Forest had not lost a Premier League game either.

And now they are the unbeaten ones.

Their first-half performance was solid and unspectacular. They frustrated Liverpool but did not have a single shot before the break.

Nuno's bravery swung the game Forest's way. He brought on Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga when the temptation might have been to shore things up - and it paid off.

Elanga found Hudson-Odoi for the goal.

Forest players went to celebrate with their fans at the end of their first win at Anfield since the first man landed on the Moon.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Liverpool’s performance, external

What did you make of Nottingham Forest’s display?, external

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Read the match report and follow reaction

There are eight Premier League games on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you all the action and reaction throughout the day.

All time are BST

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BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries:

• Liverpool v Nottingham Forest

• Aston Villa v Everton

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week four, he takes on Femi Koleoso and Ife Ogunjobi from jazz band Ezra Collective, the 2023 Mercury Music Prize winners.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

I'm at Anfield for BBC Radio 5 Live and I'm looking forward to seeing Arne Slot's Liverpool.

They haven't conceded a goal yet, and they don't give away many chances, but they still look good going forward and absolutely tore Manchester United apart at Old Trafford.

Chris Wood is in good form for Nottingham Forest, but I just don't see them scoring.

Their plan will probably be to just sit in and try to keep Liverpool out, but I don't think that will work either - Mohamed Salah will score and Slot will win again.

Femi's prediction: 3-0

Liverpool are looking like the second-best team in the league at the moment.

Ife's prediction: 4-0

They are at home so I am expecting some goals.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Boss Nuno Espirito Santo insists he has no regrets after failing to land another striker for Nottingham Forest.

The club were unable to complete deals for PSV Eindhoven forward Santiago Gimenez and Eddie Nketiah, who eventually joined Crystal Palace from Arsenal, in the transfer window.

It has left them light up front with Chris Wood backed up by Taiwo Awoniyi and Emmanuel Dennis, although new attackers Ramon Sosa and Jota Silva can deputise if needed.

Forest, unbeaten in their opening three games, go to Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday and Nuno remains happy with his options.

He said: "In the transfer window we were looking for many options that could help us. The main thing was we looked for someone who could improve us and someone who wanted to be with us. These two things are very important.

"There was no disappointment at all, the main objective was to keep the players we wanted to keep.

"This is something which is good for us in the development of the squad and, afterwards, knowing we have solutions. To believe in them, trust them and to develop them."

Wood has returned from New Zealand's games against the United States and Mexico before Forest's trip to Anfield.

He will be assessed following his transatlantic travel but remains first choice. Awoniyi has struggled to prove his fitness, while Dennis' long-term future appears to be away from the City Ground after two loans last season.

Nuno added: "Chris is a competitor. He is ready to play. What we have to do is manage him before and after the games - but he is always available.

"We know and trust who we have and we have solutions. It's up to us to develop these versatile players who I think can do these positions."

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In the latest episode of Shut Up And Show More Football, Nottingham Forest's "potential" was discussed as well as how they can maximise it should key players become targets for "bigger clubs."

Commentator Colin Fray spoke to David Jackson about Forest's progression: "When Nuno [Espirito Santo] talks about developing his players and looking at wide players who might be able to give them something up front, he is looking at a squad now where he has potential and he has got options.

"The other one we didn't mention is Eric da Silva Moreira, 18 years of age, what a start he has made to his Forest career. He was fantastic in the League Cup tie against Newcastle and he has played age group football for Germany against England during this last international break.

"The potential for Forest is to just keep going for as long as they can, producing these kind of players, accepting the fact that somewhere along the line, if the development continues to go in the direction that it is going, that these players are going to be worth a lot of money and they are going to attract bids from bigger clubs.

"Eventually they are going to lose one or two of them and maybe more over the years but if in that time they have accelerated Forest further up the Premier League table, they have helped to solidify Forest in the heart of the Premier League if you like and they are no longer looking over their shoulders and scrapping in relegation every year, then that is progress.

"You look at the recruitment a la Brighton, move players on for big money, look for the next one who is coming through for not very big money who you can then develop over the next couple of years.

"Yes they might have to move on but they will have helped to take the club higher and higher and that's life for a club that's not in the top six, that has not got European football and that can't expect players to stay there necessarily forever and ever.

"As long as a squad continues to be put together that can develop that young talent and can take the club forward, that is what is being asked and I certainly think they've done that and the squad is certainly a lot smaller."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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On Thursday, we asked for one thing you have spotted about Nottingham Forest so far this season that has gone under the radar. Put simply, what is something nobody is talking about but should be?

Here are some of your suggestions:

Kris: A lot of people are talking about the influence of Morgan Gibbs-White and our attacking options in wide areas. What less people have talked about is the calm assurance Nikola Milenkovic has brought to our defence. Conceding from set pieces seems less of a foregone conclusion and, conversely, we now have a genuine threat of our own.

Tim: The biggest change to Forest's season so far is the signing of Milenkovic. He is a world-class centre-back and has made all of the back four, and Matz Sels, look so much more secure. It gives confidence to the midfield and allows us to attack with more freedom. Nikola is the signing we absolutely needed - and for a good price.

Simon: Ola Aina is a class act and the most underrated player in the Forest squad.

Stuart: It is testament to the quality of Elliot Anderson that he has slotted into the team so seamlessly. An instant first-team player with bags of quality, playing out of position when needed and pushing Morgan Gibbs-White to better performances. Three games in and it’s clear we got a great deal when signing him.

Dave: No one seems prepared to give Forest credit for the huge increase in squad quality versus two years ago. People couldn’t wait to give us stick for the number of recruits in 2022 but we needed them (mostly). Look at the number of international call-ups versus the line-ups we were putting out in September 2022 against Bournemouth, Fulham etc..

Evan: Scoring when the team is playing well and being clinical. Five points could easily have been nine. Don’t make a habit of playing well and under-scoring (goals and points) as no team is too good to go down! Leeds and Leicester recently, and Newcastle and West Ham further back can attest to that!

In the latest episode of Shut Up And Show More Football, David Jackson and Colin Fray spoke of their delight as Morgan Gibbs-White made his debut for England's senior men's side, coming on as a 76th-minute substitute during the recent international break.

"It was a lovely moment on Saturday evening when he came on as a substitute [for Jack Grealish against the Republic of Ireland] and made his way on to the pitch," Jackson said.

"Just about everybody in Nottinghamshire in one way or another, showed their pride on social media.

"That feeling, it has been a long time since we had a Forest player representing England and seeing Gibbs-White run out on to the pitch you sort of felt like a proud dad. There goes a Forest player playing for England again.

"It has been over a quarter of a century we have waited for this moment. For the decade or more before that, it was commonplace and now we have had a long time.

"It is going to be really tough for him from now on to get back in. He's going to have to really keep producing and take it on to another level as well because this time an opportunity presented itself because Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham had pulled out before.

"He has got there, he's got that England cap, now his aim is to build on that and get more, it's going to be a big ask."

Gibbs-White has tasted success with England at youth level, winning the Under-21 European Championship last year and the Under-17 World Cup in 2017 with former Forest boss Steve Cooper.

Fray added: "Taken for granted I think by a generation of Forest fans but then another generation has come along and never seen it. It's another one of those generational moments that has been a feature of Forest over the last three or four years.

"It is just great to see and the reward for some very good performances as well. You don't just get an England call-up. To be fair, there were a lot of injuries but he has taken his chance and gone in there and done well with the minutes that he had.

"But even with injuries you don't get an England call-up for the sake of it, you get an England call-up because you are playing well at your club level and you're a very, very good player and you've been working hard as Nuno [Espirito-Santo] said. Many, many congratulations to him, it was a great moment and it was another one of those moments that for a Forest fan of a certain age, they will have never experienced before and that is a Forest player taking the field in an England shirt.

"It's shown over the last quarter of a century or so how difficult it is to be at those kind of levels where you are capable of producing England players."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds