Nottingham Forest fend off Southampton to maintain unlikely title push | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest survived a second-half Southampton fightback to earn a narrow 3-2 victory and keep the pressure on Arsenal and Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

Forest saw out a nervous final few minutes to pick up a seventh win from their last eight outings to keep the gap between themselves and leaders Liverpool to six points.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side produced a professional and clinical display in the first half to give them a healthy advantage at the break courtesy of strikes from Elliot Anderson and Callum Hudson-Odoi, before Chris Wood nodded in his 14th goal of the season.

Southampton, who were without key man Tyler Dibling due to injury, refused to roll over and Jan Bednarek got them back into the contest with half-an-hour to play before Paul Onuachu headed home his first goal for the club, but it was not enough as Forest survived a late scare.

Forest opened the scoring from their first real foray forward in the 12th minute.

A throw-in was neatly flicked into the path of Anderson by Morgan Gibbs-White and the former arrowed his strike from distance past helpless goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.

Saints were creators of their own downfall again by attempting to play out from the back. Bednarek was caught napping by Wood and Hudson-Odoi’s strike nestled into the far corner.

Southampton were lucky to still have 11 men on the field after Flynn Downes’ second poor challenge on Gibbs-White. Referee Anthony Taylor finally brandished a yellow card following a forearm smash into the face of the Forest forward.

The home side found it far too easy to carve open their rock-bottom opponents and soon had a third. Ola Aina had all the time in the world to pick out the head of Wood who continued his blistering goalscoring form.

Forest should have had a fourth 10 minutes after the interval but Anthony Elanga was denied magnificently by Ramsdale and Gibbs-White was unable to put in the rebound.

Southampton found a way back into the contest after a free-kick came out to Lesley Ugochukwu, who shanked an effort which bounced off Bednarek and looped into the back of the net.

Forest thought they had immediately restored their three-goal advantage. Elanga’s cross was glanced goalwards by Nikola Milenkovic and straight to Ramsdale, but he spilled it over his goal-line.

However, his blushes were spared after Taylor was sent by VAR to the pitchside monitor and the goal was ruled out after Wood was deemed to be in an offside position.

The fourth official signalled 12 minutes of time added on and Southampton immediately set up a grandstand finish as Onuachu headed home from Mateus Fernandes’ corner.

Bednarek thought he had snatched an equaliser at the death when he jumped highest from another corner but Aina cleared off the line as home supporters in the City Ground breathed a huge sigh of relief.