When you’re battling against the rising tide of relegation, it always helps if you’ve got a proven Premier League centre-forward in your midst. Not only that, but also a willing provider of the ammunition. Nottingham Forest, in truth, did not really look like scoring against Crystal Palace.
Oliver Glasner’s side were 1-0 up through Jean-Philippe Mateta’s first-half finish with about half an hour remaining at the City Ground.
That is, until Morgan Gibbs-White picked up possession and floated an inch-perfect through ball over the Palace backline and onto the grateful bonce of Chris Wood. They are not quite Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland but there was a touch of the former’s famed vision and the latter’s dead-eyed efficiency about the goal which drew Nottingham Forest level.
Gibbs-White and Chris Wood combine for Nottingham Forest
“The imagination is fantastic!,” former Chelsea, Everton and Scotland winger Pat Nevin said on punditry duty for BBC Sport.
“Chris Wood is running away from goal, has his back to goal, and that is a very, very tough chance (to finish off). (Gibbs-White has) dropped into the pocket, quarter back pass, genius ball, genius finish (from Wood).”
Nevin was also full of praise for the impact made by one Gio Reyna. So seldom-seen since his January arrival from Borussia Dortmund, a twinkle-toed cameo from the America international offered a timely reminder as to why he was such a favourite of Haaland’s over in Germany, and why ex-BVB boss Marco Rose once labelled him a footballer with ‘world-class’ potential.
Gio Reyna makes his mark at last
“The changes have made such an impact for Forest,” Nevin adds, Reyna replacing Divock Origi for only his fourth Forest appearance.
“Morgan Gibbs-White wasn’t getting any space earlier in the game, he is getting space now and is really creating for them. Him and Gio Reyna look like they’ve been playing together for years!”
Wood, meanwhile, now has 10 goals this season. Perhaps surprisingly, this is the fifth time he’s reached double figures in a Premier League campaign.
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