As Lenin would have said if he’d been a Forest fan, there are days when whole weeks happen, and this was one of them. Forest and Everton took a big step to safety, Leicester and Leeds slid deeper into the mire, and poor old Southampton were all but relegated. Here’s our match report, which is my cue to bow out. Thanks for your company and some excellent correspondence.
Nottingham Forest boost survival hopes with wild win against Southampton | Match report by @benfisherj https://t.co/FM3v5sw9Sb
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) May 8, 2023
Jamie Carragher asks Gibbs-White about his rapport with Steve Cooper, who has been his boss three times. “It’s incredible,” he says. “I wish I had that with every manager. Real, down-to-earth, good manager. I actually feel sorry for him with the season we’ve had.”
Morgan Gibbs-White is talking to the pundits. There’s a big smile under his moustache. “It’s the best feeling,” he says. “We stuck together and got the job done, showed some resilience.”
Was he feeling the pressure with the penalty? “Nah, I wouldn’t say so.” Yeah, right. “We were 2-1 up at the time.”
Southampton won everything but the game. They beat Forest in terms of possession (63-37), corners (11-2), shots (18-8), and shots on target (4-3). But they only looked like winning for the first 15 minutes.
“The Guardian,” says John Norris, “have a 10 Talking Points from the weekend. Don’t we need another just for today’s three games?”
This is marking your own homework, but understandable in the circumstances.
THE CITY GROUND IS BOUNCING.
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) May 8, 2023
“It was a good day to be a retired American,” says Joe Pearson. “Three matches, twenty-one goals! And I could watch Millwall-Blackburn online. Delicious!” To be fair, it’s not been a bad day to be a working Brit.
The Saints are going down. They’re not dead yet, but they are six points adrift of everyone else with only three games to play. The thing that may annoy them most is that they were the better team for about two-thirds of this match. But Forest took their chances, in some style, and they should now be safe. They have 33 points, Everton 32, Leicester and Leeds 30, Southampton 24. No games in hand at this end of the table.
FULL TIME! Forest 4-3 Southampton
A ludicrously entertaining game finally ends, in the 101st minute, with Forest completing the double over Southampton.
90+9 min Mayhem in the Forest box, but no clear chance. They’re almost there.
90+7 min Goals scored today: 21 – eight at Fulham, six at Brighton, and seven here. Everyone seems to think it’s the last day of the season already.
Just like Gibbs-White earlier, Ward-Prowse went down the middle. It’s been a good night for the double barrels.
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GOAL! Forest 4-3 Southampton (Ward-Prowse 90+5)
Rifled!
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By the way, we are halfway through seven added minutes.
PENALTY to Southampton!
Lavia goes down as Sam Sturridge clips his foot. Michael Oliver points to the spot again!
DISALLOWED GOAL! (Felipe)
This is a collector’s item if it’s onside – Felipe goes clean through, takes Gibbs-White’s free kick out of thin air with the deftest of touches, and thumps it home. But it is offside.
89 min The player of the match, chosen by Alan Smith, is Morgan Gibbs-White. “Some of his touches have been sublime.”
88 min “Only two goals in this half,” says Richard Hirst. “A non-event!”
85 min Southampton soak up some pressure from Forest, then go up the other end. Sulemana, who has been a live wire, takes a powerful shot, but it’s straight at Navas.
82 min “I see your three subs,” Steve Cooper is saying to Ruben Selles, “and I raise you three of my own.” Off go Awoniyi and Johnson, which seems rash, plus Lodi; on come Toffolo, Surridge and Boly. Looks like a back five.
80 min There’s a lull while a couple of Forest players get some treatment. “Saints fan here,” says Adam K, “and watching this performance makes me think: if only we’d played with anywhere near this much urgency earlier in the season. It really feels too little too late to me, and, whisper it, but I’m no longer that bothered. I feel terribly for those working day to day at the club who stand to be hurt financially by relegation, but purely from the football side of things I’m excited to – hopefully – not only win 4 and a half games each season. I understand I’m glossing over some serious nuances, but looking at the bigger picture I really hope this is the start of an era of not just surviving. Enjoy the rest of the game! Some cracking goals out there today!”
78 min “20 goals in three matches,” says Michael Meagher, “and still about 20 minutes of play left. Madness!”
76 min Three subs! Ruben Selles has now swapped in his whole forward line. Off go Armstrong (S), Alcaraz and Adams. On come Adams (A), Edozie and Onuachu.
Danilo’s finish was nice, but Gibbs-White’s assist was delicious – as a cut-back came in from the right, he gave it the subtlest of flicks to tee up Danilo in space to his left. Saints need three!
GOAAALLLL! Forest 4-2 Southampton (Danilo 73)
And it’s a beauty!
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70 min Ryan Yates’ race is run. He gets a big hand from the home fans as Cheikou Kouyate takes his place in midfield.
69 min Another Southampton corner, another strong Lyanco header, and Adams can’t quite get the finishing touch.
66 min A sub from Forest too: Serge Aurier hobbles off, to be replaced by Joe Worrall.
63 min If you were picking a composite team from this game, it might be all Southampton apart from the forward line. Never mind Awoniyi – Johnson and Gibbs-White have been immense too. They play a one-two in the box which almost brings a goal for Gibbs-White.
61 min The first hour is up, and the first unforced sub is on: Sulemana for Walcott, who was sharp.
57 min Southampton are making all the running.
Does Brennan Johnson count as a "nepo-baby" @TimdeLisle? To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what the neologism means, but it seems to be a thing (especially this weekend!)
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) May 8, 2023
Which team has fielded the most, I wonder?
56 min “An enjoyable game by the sound of it,” says John Potter. You can say that again, John. “While we’re here... JLingz, where did it all go wrong?” A very good question.
54 min Yet another set piece! And it’s a carbon copy of the one from six minutes ago – a curler from Ward-Prowse with nobody quite getting on the end of it. He is so good at this. If Southampton go down, everybody is going to want their team to buy him.
It was another set piece and another gorgeous ball in from Ward-Prowse. Lyanco, on as a sub for the injured Bella-Kotchap, came off the line to twist and flick a header past Navas.
GOAL! Forest 3-2 Southampton (Lyanco 50)
Hang on!
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48 min Forest kick off the second half and have a bit of the ball for once, but then Southampton win a free kick 30 yards out. Ward-Prowse curls it in but Che Adams can only get a glancing header on it.
Even his passing has been spot-on.
Taiwo Awoniyi’s first half by numbers vs. Southampton:
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) May 8, 2023
100% pass accuracy
13 touches
2 clearances
2 shots on target
2 goals
Helped give Forest an important lead. 🌳 pic.twitter.com/OkI4AJ3HUR
“Point of order,” says Mark Hooper. “Forest may have been terribly run (with the odd blip of competency) for over 20 years, BUT it’s unfair on Steve Cooper to talk about signing 30 players (for under the cost most PL teams have spent on a fifth of that number). When he took over, Forest were bottom of the championship. He got them promoted with inspired loanees, none of whom stayed. So he had to build an entirely new squad with a handful of homegrown players (Johnson, Worrall, Yates). In the circumstances he’s done an amazing job – hence why he’s still in charge.”
HALF-TIME! Forest 3-1 Southampton
It’s pouring in West Bridgford and Forest are in heaven. After changing their formation and playing on the counter, they have taken their chances superbly. They sit 16th, while Southampton are heading for the drop. They’ve had 64 per cent possession and not done nearly enough with it. It’s been a game of four shots on target, all of which have gone in. and a rip-roaring relegation tussle. Back in a few mins.
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45+1 min We’re having three extra minutes. “That’s clearly a foul,” says Samuel Campbell, “but in no way is a free shot at goal a suitable reward/punishment for that offence. Time to bring in indirect free kicks for fouls in the area that don’t stop a goal-scoring chance.” Good plan.
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Gibbs-White went down the middle, not all that confidently, and McCarthy got a boot to it. But the ball is in the net and Forest have a cushion!
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GOAL! Forest 3-1 Southampton (Gibbs-White 44)
I take that back.
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It’s going to be Gibbs-White. Forest, by the way, are the worst penalty-takers in the Prem.
PENALTY to Forest!
Maitland-Niles toe-pokes Johnson in the heel, unintentionally but unfairly, and the whistle goes. The VAR will surely agree with Michael Oliver.
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38 min Bella-Kotchap is helped off the field. I hope he’s OK.
“I think you’re right,” says Kári Tulinius. “These aren’t bad teams. But well-run clubs they’re not. Southampton was built around a certain style, which Hasenhüttl implemented. The club fired him and hired a totally different kind of manager. Meanwhile, Forest’s hierarchy have signed 30 new players. If Cooper keeps them up, it’s a miracle. At least these teams have entertained.” Good points.
36 min It should be 3-1! This episode is a tale of two centre-backs. One, Bella-Kotchap, finds Brennan Johnson racing past him as he goes down in a heap. The other, Bednarek, saves the day with a majestic sliding block.
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35 min I should have said some time ago that Forest are playing a back four, not 3-4-2-1 as advertised. At this stage, it’s a tactical masterstroke.
34 min There have now been 17 goals in the Premier League today. In two games and a third.
32 min As it stands, Forest are going back above the mighty Everton. But Southampton have been the better side, so there may be twists to come.
“Evening Tim,” says Bill Hargreaves. “Forest working on the old goal difference. Good to see.” Ha.
29 min: save! McCarthy, with his knee, from Yates, who shot from the penalty spot. The flag went up, but it was mistaken.
Ward-Prowse nicked the ball back high up the field. A couple of neat passes cut the defence open, and Alcaraz had time to take a touch before playing another pass into the net. Simple but effective.
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GOAL! Forest 2-1 Southampton (Alcaraz 25)
Game on!
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There was a game of pinball in the Southampton box. Danilo kept calm and played a little chip through to Awoniyi, who shrugged off the defender grabbing his shirt, swivelled and hooked a sensational volley past the helpless McCarthy. You wait four months for a goal from Awoniyi, then two come at once.
GOAL! Forest 2-0 Southampton (Awoniyi 22)
And another!
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That was such a good counter, it could have been Everton at Brighton. A crisp long ball set Johnson free on the right. He picked his moment and found Awoniyi, who slotted home from ten yards as if he did it all the time. In fact, he hadn’t done it since he last faced Southampton, four months ago.
GOAL! Forest 1-0 Southampton (Awoniyi 18)
Against the run of play!
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16 min If you didn’t know these teams were the bottom two, you’d never guess from watching them. Both are passing the ball so confidently.
14 min Passes in final third, says a caption: Forest 5, Southampton 25.
12 min Southampton win a corner and Walcott does well to get the flick-on at the near post. “Anything can happen from those,” says Smith, just as we see that nothing can happen too.
10 min: chance! A surging run from Gibbs-White sets up Johnson, who drills his shot just wide.
Meanwhile, we have an email. “This fixture gets a green stamp of approval,” says Peter Oh, “for prominently featuring trees on the club crests. It’s too bad that both teams face are in grave danger of being cut down and cleared from the Premier League. Save the Trees!!!”
7 min: chance! Neat feet from Walcott and Adams would be celebrating if it weren’t for a good block from Felipe. “Nervous start from Forest,” says Alan Smith.
4 min It’s been a breathless start. Southampton get the first shot in as Che Adams has a go from the inside-left channel and curls it over. Up the other end, McCarthy has to race out and clear as Johnson bears down upon him.
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Key event
1 min Southampton kick off and play the ball straight back to McCarthy. He goes long, once then twice, before the action lands in the Forest box, where a mishit clearance needs a punch from Navas.
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The National Anthem is being played, and sung. And not booed, as far as I can tell. Among those who know the words are Theo Walcott and James Ward-Prowse.
The players are out there in the East Midlands rain. Forest are in their traditional red shirts, Southampton in pale blue. Forest go into a huddle with Ryan Yates, back in charge, saying something urgent.
Steve Cooper is talking to Sky. “We’ve just got to believe in ourselves,” he says. “Just focus on the performance and get the win that we really want.”
Back to those teams. Steve Cooper makes only one change to the Forest side that lost narrowly at Brentford, leaving out Joe Worrall and bringing back Ryan Yates, who has been out for six weeks with a shoulder injury.
Ruben Selles opts for three changes to the Southampton team that lost more conclusively at Newcastle. In come Theo Walcott, Che Adams and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and out go Lyanco, Djenepo and Sulemana.
Another goal at the Amex! There have now been 13 of them in two games today. This one’s going to be a 0-0, isn’t it?
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Football is nuts!
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 8, 2023
In case Brighton 0-3 Everton wasn’t far-fetched enough… Dwight McNeil has added another. Details here from Barry Glendenning.
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Teams
Forest (possible 3-4-2-1) Navas; Aurier, Felipe, Niakhate; Yates, Mangala, Danilo, Lodi; Johnson, Gibbs-White; Awoniyi.
Subs: Hennessey, Worrall, Lingard, Toffolo, Surridge, Kouyate, Freuler, Boly, Ayew.
Southampton (possible 4-2-3-1) McCarthy; Maitland-Niles, Bednarek, Bella-Kotchap, Walker-Peters; Ward-Prowse, Lavia; Walcott, Alcaraz, Stuart Armstrong; Adams.
Subs: Bazunu, Lyanco, Caleta-Car, Adam Armstrong, Onuachu, Mara, Sulemana, Edozie, Elyounoussi.
Referee Michael Oliver.
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to the crazy world of the relegation battle. On a day when we’ve seen Leicester leaking goals and Everton scoring them for fun, the 8pm game has gone from a crunch to a deathtrap.
Southampton surely have to win to keep their faint hopes of survival alight. Nottingham Forest need a draw to sneak out of the bottom three, while a victory will take them back above Everton.
Southampton do seem doomed and they may well take Forest down with them. But both are on a firmer footing tonight than the overall table might have you believe. Forest are a respectable 13th in the home table, Southampton a not terrible 16th in the away one.
The reverse fixture, in early January, came with a twist. It was Forest’s first and so far last away win of the season, with the only goal coming from Taiwo Awoniyi.
As the scriptwriters at Fulham and Brighton have shown, absolutely anything can happen. Kick-off is at 8pm BST and I’ll be back soon after 7 with the teams.
