Premier League: Back to the days of glory for  Forest

Looking at the Premier League table after last weekend’s round of matches, one could be forgiven for thinking that you had gone back in time and were looking at the 1979-1980 season’s form.

As in the turn of the decade into 1980, Liverpool were top of the table while some of the usual suspects of the era Arsenal, Man United were in contention. Again, like the current table, traditional powerhouse clubs like Wolves, Ipswich Town, and Nottingham Forest were in the topflight. But that’s where the similarity ends, as unlike 1980, only Forest from those clubs are in contention for high honours in the present-day table.

Forty-five years on, Forest are back in the big time, and despite most predicting a relegation battle or mid-table mediocrity at best, the north midlands club have surprised everyone with a run to the table’s pinnacle and the prospect of European soccer returning to the fabled City Grounds. And maybe, dare we say it, a tilt at the title itself.

Such a renaissance for Forest is only comparable to the realms of fantasy only sured by Leicester City winning the Premier League.

Of course, Forest has a far more decorated history than Leicester, yet their return from lower-tier obscurity to Premier League contention would be seen in the same flight of fancy had anyone suggested such a scenario at the start of the season.

To put this Forest rejuvenation in context, the side avoided relegation last season only by goal difference, over 18th-place Luton Town. They only won nine matches all season. This term, Forest have already won 12 games with half the season’s fixtures still to be played. They have just had a run of six successive wins, not done by the club since they were reigning European Champions in 1979, which now places them third in the table, just edged out of second spot by Arsenal on goal difference.

Change of fortune

So how can such a turn of fortune arrive at a club in such a dramatic fashion? Well like most things, there are several reasons for the dramatic change, not least the accuracy of Chris Wood in front of goal. But really the bulk of the credit must be delivered into the hands of the manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Portuguese man took charge of Forest in December last season, with the dismissal of Steve Cooper, who was popular with players and fans alike but had run out of luck and ideas it seems after leading Forest to Premier League promotion in 2022.

Espirito Santo’s appointment came at a hard time for him and the club, who were in the midst of the relegation struggle, but he immediately put his mark on the team with wins over Spurs followed by their first top-flight win over Man United in 29 years. Still as we said, it was a battle to survive and it took a 2-1 away win over the already relegated Burnley, on the final day of the season, for them to secure safety. But the new boss prevailed. Such are the narrow margins of success and forgotten-about-oblivion.

Imagine the surprise then, when after three matches of the new season in 2024, they beat Liverpool for the first time in Anfield since 1969. At first it was put down as a freak surprise, one of those things. Liverpool under a new boss in Arne Slot, were caught out, a reality check for the new Dutch manager and Liverpool faithful, was the belief.

Espirito Santo's knows

But, as the season has gone on, that 1-0 win from the boot of Callum Hudson-Odoi, has grown in significance with each ing week as Forest remained the only side in the league to have defeated the Merseysiders, who are travelling on their own fantasy run in the 2024-2025 season.

Forest’s work ethic and the tactical nous of Espirito Santo sees them now gathering two points per game on average, despite, statistically having command of less possession than any other team in the Premier League. They have become master of the counterattack. That victory on Monday, that now puts Forest in serious contention for the title race, came ironically against a Wolves side that Espirito Santo once managed to considerable success. Wolves’ fans must have looked wistfully in Espirito Santo’s direction during the game recognising what they once had. But maybe the side that took him from Wolves have the greatest regrets. Spurs dived in to get Espirito Santo to move to London in 2021. But after a great first month, where he won manager of the month, Espirito Santo's Spurs had a poor October/November and Spurs parted company with him after just four months in charge.

Notably, Espirito Santo tends to have indifferent first seasons with clubs before he pushes on. Spurs might just be wondering, were they too short-sighted in their ambitions as they now look up at Espirito Santo and his Forest side from their lowly 12th-place position.