The team finished 17th in the 2023/24 Premier League season following a scrape success against Burnley, with only four teams conceding more goals than them throughout the season. However, Forest’s stunning performance this season has rightfully earned them third place in the league after their 3-0 victory over West Ham on November 2nd – their third win in a row. Mull of Kintyre, oh mist rolling in from the three, am I right?
Following their promotion to the Premier League in 2022, Forest attracted widespread disdain for their disorganised recruitment and infamous financial fair play problems. After having points deducted for overspending in the 2023/24 season, it appeared that they had spent an incredible amount on a team that just wasn’t clicking.
However, this year, the pieces seem to have fallen into place for a breakthrough season with Forest’s industrious defence. Formidable defenders Ola Aina and Murillo have started every match so far and connected seamlessly with recently signed Nikola Milenkovic, who is tackling the club’s notorious set-piece struggles. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Matz Sels has already matched last season’s total of four clean sheets, with the team now boasting the second-strongest defence on the table after conceding only seven goals in ten games, compared to the fifteen they had conceded by this point last season.
This solid defensive foundation has not only bolstered the team’s confidence but has also allowed their stars up front to shine. Chris Wood is on track for the best campaign of his career, scoring eight of Forest’s 14 goals, and with the signing of quality player Elliot Anderson, and Morgan Gibbs-White’s recent return from injury, it’s only becoming harder not to get excited about the club’s future this season.
It's only becoming harder not to get excited about the club's future this season.
The club is already sitting with 19 points after ten matches, nine points better off than last season and just 13 shy of last season’s total. Nuno Espírito Santo, appointed manager in December 2023, seems optimistic about the team’s future on the table, laughing that "we should be proud (…) have a beer, maybe two" in his West Ham post-match presser.
The upcoming matches against Newcastle United, Arsenal, and Manchester City will test whether Forest’s early-season form can truly hold - but after their 1-0 win over Liverpool, the only defeat the league leaders have suffered so far, it’s clear that Forest is a team that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
