Southampton 0-1 Nottingham Forest. Morgan Gibbs-White scored the decisive goal to secure Nottingham Forest’s first win of the Premier League season with a 1-0 victory over Southampton.
The Forest captain found the net in the 70th minute, tapping in a rebound after his initial header was cleared off the line by Yukinari Sugawara.
Forest had an opportunity to take the lead earlier when debutant Nikola Milenkovic skied a close-range shot wide. Southampton’s Cameron Archer came close to equalizing on his home debut but missed out on Charlie Taylor’s cross.
Southampton dominated possession, much like in their opening defeat to Newcastle, but struggled to create significant chances. Kyle Walker-Peters was a persistent threat in the second half, forcing a save from Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels with a shot from inside the box.
Under Russell Martin, Southampton remains winless in their last 15 Premier League matches and has yet to score in their first two games of the season. After returning to the top flight, the Saints are already facing a challenging battle to stay up.
Martin emphasized the need for a goal to ease the team’s pressure, saying, “We need that goal to relax everyone. I get it after the last time the team was in the Premier League but we’re here now.”
Despite a promising debut, Ben Brereton Diaz has yet to make an impact, though Archer has shown potential in brief appearances. Southampton has made only two changes to the squad from last season, indicating a lack of fresh tactical options.
The Saints will need to turn things around quickly, starting with their upcoming trip to Brentford.
Nottingham Forest, who narrowly avoided relegation last season, have made a strong start under manager Nuno Espirito Santo. Despite less possession, they created more chances, with Ola Aina providing consistent pressure on the left wing and Gibbs-White dominating midfield.
With new signings like Elliot Anderson from Newcastle, Forest appears to be a more cohesive unit. They have earned four points from their first two games and will face Wolves at the City Ground next Saturday.
source – BBC
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