Chris Wood hit his second heyday with seven goals in nine games.
Nottingham Forest defeated Leicester City 3-1 in the ninth round of the 2024-25 Premier League at the King Power Stadium in Leicester, England, at 4 a.m. on the 26th (Korea time). With this, Nottingham jumped to fifth place in the league, while Leicester finished 14th.
Nottingham and Leicester, famous for their “East Midlands Derby,” boast a strong Liberley. The two teams did not meet for a while as Leicester was relegated to the English Championship (minor league) after a showdown in January last year, but faced off again at their home in about two years after Leicester was promoted this season.
Nottingham won. Ryan Yates’ sharp mid-range shot shook the net in the 16th minute, but Leicester also maintained a tight flow when Jamie Vardy equalized in the 23rd minute. However, the second half started and Wood’s fantastic turning shot widened the gap.
Wood also scored multiple goals. In the 16th minute of the second half, a long ball from goalie Mats Sels headed for Wood. Lester Bout Pars, who was competing, tried to clear it with his head but Wood scored the third goal with a header shot. Thus, Nottingham ended the match with a 3-1 victory.
Wood’s recent form is unusual. New Zealand striker Wood has played for a number of clubs in England. He grew up at West Bromwich Albion as a youth and moved to Brighton & Hove Albion, Birmingham City, Bristol City, Millwall, Leicester City and Ipswich Town after his senior debut. He showed his talent in Leeds United in the 2016-17 season, scoring 27 goals in 44 games, and became a legend at Burnley, scoring more than 50 goals.
Newcastle United, who have been keeping an eye on their performance, have recruited Wood for 15 million pounds (27 billion won). However, the team has shown sluggish performance with only five goals in 39 matches for Newcastle. He left for Nottingham in January 2023 to rebound. He did not score many goals, but he made a big impact by scoring an equalizer against Manchester City.
After a complete transfer, Wood used to be a bench resource. Nottingham relied heavily on Nigeria’s Tywer Awoniyi, who was the top scorer in his team. However, as his injuries became more frequent, Wood took the forefront position. Since Nunu Espirito Santo took over, Wood has established himself as a starting player. Wood scored three goals in 10 matches before Nunu took over, but nine in 10 matches to revive his performance. 스포츠토토
Having elevated his condition to 14 goals in 31 matches in the league last season, he has been flying with wings this season. He has scored seven goals in nine matches since the season’s opening, beating Cole Palmer’s five goals and ranking second in PL after Elling Holland’s 10. Nottingham also made remarkable strides, including a 55-year-old away win at Liverpool, and has come up to fifth with just one loss in the league. Local fans call him “Robin Wood” by comparing him to Robin Hood, a legendary figure in Nottingham.