Chris Wood of Nottingham Forest is not setting his sights on competing with Erling Haaland for the Premier League’s Golden Boot. Wood scored twice in a 3-1 victory over Leicester City, bringing his season total to seven goals.
Ryan Yates initially put Forest ahead, but Jamie Vardy equalised before Wood’s two second-half goals secured the win.
Wood’s performance has placed him alongside Stan Collymore with 22 Premier League goals for Forest. Only Bryan Roy has scored more for the club in this competition, with 24 goals. Despite his impressive form, Wood remains grounded and focused on continuing to score as much as possible.
Since Nuno Espirito Santo took charge at City Ground in December 2023, Wood has thrived under his leadership. Only Haaland has scored more non-penalty goals than Wood during this period. “It’s consistency with what Nuno’s been working on,” Wood explained, highlighting the improvements made by the team.
Nuno praised Wood’s efforts, stating, “He’s done an amazing job. He’s very honest and he gives everything on the pitch for us.” The manager expressed delight at Wood’s contributions and emphasised the importance of maintaining their current form.
For Leicester City, it was a challenging match against Steve Cooper’s former team. Defensive errors proved costly for the Foxes, who had been on a winning streak before facing Forest. James Justin’s poor clearance led to Yates’ opening goal, while mistakes by Harry Winks and Wout Faes allowed Wood to capitalise.
Cooper acknowledged the team’s shortcomings: “It’s self-inflicted, no doubt about that, and it’s on us.” He stressed the need for accountability and recognised that conceding early in the second half was detrimental to their performance.
The defeat was a setback for Leicester after recent victories. Cooper admitted responsibility for the outcome: “We have to take responsibility for it. It’s a setback after winning a few games coming into this.” He acknowledged that they were punished for their defensive lapses.
Wood remains humble despite his achievements this season. He acknowledges Haaland as a formidable player likely to score many more goals. “I just want to keep scoring as many as I can,” said Wood, focusing on personal improvement rather than competing with others.
