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Forest’s Espirito Santo delighted with response in 7-0 Brighton rout
Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo was thrilled with his team’s wholehearted response after last weekend’s humbling defeat as they ran roughshod over Brighton & Hove Albion in a 7-0 rout on Saturday and hoped they could push on from the win.
A week after a 5-0 loss to Bournemouth, Chris Wood bagged a hat-trick and Morgan Gibbs-White, Neco Williams and Jota Silva also scored to consolidate third spot as they chase what would be their first Champions League qualification in 45 years.
“The response on the pitch from the players was beyond our expectations,” a smiling Espirito Santo told the BBC.
“We were concerned, we wanted to put it right because last week wasn’t good enough and they were aware of that and the response was great.”
The Portuguese manager had high praise for the 33-year-old Wood, who has found the back of the net 17 times in the league this season, including seven in his last six games.
The New Zealander became the first Forest player to score a hat-trick at the City Ground since Nigel Clough in 1987.
“Amazing, amazing,” Espirito Santo said. “More than anything, the way he works for the team, the way he helps. Three assists from Anthony (Elanga) also, so a hat-trick of assists. More delight.”
Brighton, meanwhile, staggered to their worst loss since a 9-0 defeat at Middlesbrough on the opening day of the 1958-59 season in the second tier.
“Bad performance, bad result, very disappointed,” said Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler.
“I want to see a reaction from the team, but we win together and we lose together so that’s also a test for the individual characters and for the group, how we deal with it because games like this, they are bad but maybe it is a signal for us to show a reaction.”
Hurzeler picked up his fifth yellow card in the league this season.
“When we look at the decisions today, they were really poor so I think being emotional is part of it,” the German said. “I know the statistic, but in the end emotions are part of the game.”
-Reuters
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Summary
- *Liverpool visit Brentford with a four-point cushion
- *Arsenal closest title challengers as they host Villa
- *Third-placed Forest welcome bottom club Southampton
Liverpool remain in the driving seat in the Premier League title race but there are signs that instead of Arne Slot’s side vanishing over the horizon in the second half of the season they could face a real battle to be crowned champions.
The leaders head to Brentford on Saturday with a four-point cushion over second-placed Arsenal and a game in hand but suddenly they are not having it all their own way.
While unbeaten in the league since losing at home to Nottingham Forest in September, a run of 16 games, they have drawn four of their last seven, having dropped points in only two of their first 13 matches.
The failure of the teams below them to take full advantage, namely Chelsea and Arsenal, and Manchester City’s meltdown towards the end of last year means Liverpool still look secure.
But Arsenal’s 2-1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, the night after Liverpool were held 1-1 by surprise package Nottingham Forest, has left the door ajar.
Arsenal, who are unbeaten in 11 league games and host seventh-placed Aston Villa on Saturday, look the most likely side to chase Liverpool down but Forest, who are six points off the pace have become part of the conversation.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side reeled off six successive league victories before the draw with Liverpool and should get back to winning ways this weekend as they host bottom club Southampton at the City Ground.
Newcastle United are the form team with six straight wins pushing them into fourth spot, although they are nine points adrift of Liverpool having played a game more. Eddie Howe’s side host Bournemouth, who are eighth, on Saturday.
Chelsea’s climb has tailed off after a five-match winless streak in the league and Enzo Maresca’s fifth-placed side will be desperate to get back on track at home to relegation-battling Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday.
HOME GOALS
Liverpool will be mindful of a Brentford side who show scant regard for reputations and hit back with two late goals to draw 2-2 with Manchester City on Tuesday at the Gtech Community Stadium where they have scored 29 goals, more than any other side has managed at home this season.
They have leaked 21 there too, so Saturday’s visit from Liverpool is unlikely to be a cagey encounter.
Arsenal’s midweek victory over Tottenham revived their mood after a difficult start to the year which has included a draw at Brighton & Hove Albion, back to back home cup defeats and a season-ending knee injury for forward Gabriel Jesus.
But opponents Villa are showing returning to form and the last time Arsenal lost at home in the league it was to their former manager Unai Emery’s Midlands side — a 2-0 defeat in April that dealt a huge blow to the Gunners’ title ambitions.
The return of manager David Moyes to Everton fell flat on Wednesday as the Scot began his second spell in charge with a 1-0 home defeat by Villa.
Everton are one point above the relegation zone having scored one goal in six league games but Sunday’s visit of a woefully out of form Spurs offers a chance to gain momentum.
Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham side have won once in their last nine league games and talk of a top-four challenge has now been replaced with that of a potential relegation battle if things do not improve rapidly.
“The reality is that our results and our form in the league has been nowhere near good enough. That needs to change,” the Australian said on Wednesday.
-Reuters
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Algerian side Belouizdad won a historic 1-0 match against Egyptian giants Al Ahly in a dramatic CAF Champions League clash at the 5 July Stadium in Algiers on Friday night.
Noufel Khacef’s strike in the first minute of stoppage time sealed the win, ending Al Ahly’s remarkable 27-match unbeaten streak in the competition.
The result marked Belouizdad’s first-ever win over the Egyptian champions in their six encounters and revitalized their chances in the group.
The match started cautiously, with both teams vying for control of the midfield. Al Ahly had an early chance when Yahya Attiat Allah’s free-kick narrowly missed the target.
Belouizdad thought they had taken the lead in the 14th minute through Khanyisa Mayo, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
The second half saw the hosts ramp up the pressure, with multiple attempts testing Al Ahly’s defensive resilience.
Belouizdad’s substitute Islam Slimani provided fresh impetus, and their persistence paid off in the dying moments.
Khacef capitalized on a rebound after Mohamed El-Shennawy’s initial save to send the home crowd into raptures.
Despite a late push by Al Ahly, including the introduction of Percy Tau and Mahmoud ‘Kahraba’, they failed to find an equalizer.
The loss leaves Al Ahly on seven points at the top of Group C, while Belouizdad moved to second with six points, overtaking Orlando Pirates, who have a game in hand.
This defeat ends Al Ahly’s unbeaten run and sets up a thrilling finale to the group stage, with all teams still in contention for qualification.
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Aleksei Bugayev, a former member of Russia’s national soccer team who played at Euro 2004, has been killed in the 34-month-old war in Ukraine, Russian media quoted his father and agent as saying on Sunday.
“Unfortunately, the news about Aleksei’s death is true. It happened today,” TASS news agency quoted the player’s father Ivan Bugayev as telling the Sport24 news outlet.
Aleksei Bugayev – Russia Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Andrew Couldridge/File Photo
RIA news agency quoted Bugayev’s agent, Anton Smirnov, as saying intense fighting had made it impossible to retrieve Bugayev’s body for burial.
Bugayev, dead at age 43, played two matches for the Russian national team in the 2004 European championship and also played for Moscow sides Torpedo and Lokomotiv as well as other provincial sides. He ended his career in 2010 at the age of 29.
In September Bugayev was sentenced by a court in southern Russia to nine and a half years in prison on drug trafficking charges.
He later declared his intention to sign up to fight in the Ukraine war. Russian authorities actively recruit in prisons for the conflict.
-Reuters
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