Nottingham Forest ran rampant as they humbled Sunderland 5-0 at the Stadium of Light on Friday night.
It is Forest’s biggest win of the season and extends their gap over the relegation zone to eight points with just four games remaining.
The first 15 minutes were end-to-end with the first chance falling to the hosts. Chris Rigg was slipped in by Enzo Le Fee on the right-hand side in the eighth minute but his left-footed effort was slotted straight at Matz Sels.
Five minutes later Omari Hutchinson made space for himself after a neat dribble and his curled left-footed effort was parried by Robin Roefs. Straight down the other end Granit Xhaka fed Le Fee in the box but the Frenchman lost his footing as he attempted his cross.
Forest quickly started to boss proceedings and their first goal came in the 17th minute. Hutchinson’s left-footed inswinging cross to the back post was headed goalward by Igor Jesus and the ball bounced off the back of Trai Hume’s head and into his own net.
The visitors got their second goal of the game just after the half-hour mark. Roefs’ sloppy pass was intercepted by Chris Wood as it ricocheted to Morgan Gibbs-White. The Englishman then fed the ball back to Wood who dinked a shot over the Sunderland ‘keeper to get his first goal since the opening weekend win at home to Brentford.
Forest’s third and fourth goals shortly followed. In the 34th minute Neco Williams’ right-footed cross was nodded down to the penalty spot by Igor Jesus and the ball was lashed home by last week’s hat-trick hero Gibbs-White for his 13th of the campaign.
Just three minutes later and the travelling fans were in dreamland. Ola Aina’s blocked effort fell to Igor Jesus in acres of space inside the box and the Brazilian then guided the ball past Roefs as the home supporters started heading for the exits. It was Forest’s third goal in just six minutes.
As the half-time whistle blew, the boos rang out around the Stadium of Light. Nordi Mukiele found himself arguing with some of the home fans as he had to be ushered down the tunnel by his teammates. What started as a hopeful night for the Black Cats was turning into a nightmare.
Sunderland switched to a more rigid back three to dampen the Forest onslaught as the second half was dominated by fouls and yellow cards. And on the hour mark they thought they had a glimmer of hope. Mukiele stretched to meet a deep free kick that was hooked to the back post before Tom Ballard headed home on the goal line. But VAR recommended an on-field review and referee Darren England deemed the Frenchman to have fouled Sels.
Regis Le Bris’ side were limited to half chances and long-range potshots for the remainder of the game. The closest they came to a consolation was through Le Fee in the 88th minute. The playmaker chested the ball down on the edge of the box before thundering a right-footed effort at goal which was acrobatically tipped over by Sels.
The icing on the cake for Forest came in the fifth minute of stoppage time. As Taiwo Awoniyi turned in the box, the ball fell to Elliot Anderson who – with his side’s only shot of the second half – calmly slotted it into the net to cap off a five star performance from the Reds and condemn Sunderland to just their fourth home defeat of the season.
It is three victories in a row for Forest for the first time since November as they extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to eight. Next up they host Aston Villa at home on Thursday night in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final, looking to reach their first European final since 1980.
Teams
Sunderland: Roefs (GK), Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Hume, Xhaka (C), Sadiki, Rigg (Reinildo 46′), Diarra (Isidor 66′), Le Fee, Brobbey
Unused substitutes: Ellborg (GK), Cirkin, Geertruida, Taibi, Mayenda, O’Nien, Jones
Yellow cards: Diarra, Xhaka
Head coach: Regis Le Bris
Nottingham Forest: Sels (GK), Aina, Milenkovic, Cunha (Morato 50′), Williams, Hutchinson (Yates 67′), Sangare (Dominguez 46′), Anderson, Gibbs-White (C), Igor Jesus (Netz 67′), Wood (Awoniyi 88′)
Unused substitutes: Ortega (GK), Ndoye, McAtee, Bakwa
Yellow cards: Dominguez, Anderson, Igor Jesus, Williams, Yates
Head coach: Vitor Pereira
Referee: Darren England
