Nottingham Forest delivered an emphatic performance once again, scoring four goals in the first half for the second consecutive match as they dismantled a stunned Sunderland 5-0 at the Stadium of Light. This victory has propelled the Tricky Trees to an eight-point cushion above the Premier League (PL) relegation zone.
This encounter presented Sunderland with a vital chance to enhance their European qualification aspirations, starting with an early opportunity when Chris Rigg made a run from the right side. Unfortunately for the 18-year-old, his shot lacked conviction, allowing Matz Sels to gather it comfortably.
That was the highlight of a dismal first half for the home side, who fell behind after just 17 minutes when Igor Jesus’ header from the far post ricocheted off Trai Hume and into his own net.
While Sunderland’s misfortune contributed to the opening goal, they fully compounded their own issues in the 31st minute as Forest extended their lead to 2-0.
Goalkeeper Robin Roefs inexplicably passed the ball directly to Chris Wood, who, after receiving a return pass from Morgan Gibbs-White, netted his first PL goal since the season’s opening game.
It got even worse for Sunderland three minutes later, when Jesus had time to direct a cross towards the penalty area, allowing Gibbs-White to fire in his sixth goal in six matches across all competitions.
As the home fans began to exit in frustration, Forest made it 4-0 just eight minutes before the half-time whistle, when a shot from Ola Aina deflected to Jesus, who struck a first-time volley past Roefs, marking his second goal in as many games.
Sunderland emerged for the second half eager to prove themselves, and Dan Ballard thought he had scored a consolation in the 61st minute with a close-range header, only for referee Darren England to disallow it after consulting the VAR due to an alleged foul by Nordi Mukiele on Sels.
This disallowed goal seemed to extinguish any glimmer of hope for the Black Cats, who faced up to their fourth defeat in five games at home, having previously enjoyed an unbeaten run in their first 12 PL matches.
After the interval, Forest accumulated more yellow cards (five) than shots (one), but they made that solitary shot count, with Newcastle United academy product Elliot Anderson sealing Sunderland’s fate by netting the fifth goal in stoppage time.
This came after Sels had expertly tipped Enzo Le Fée’s fierce late effort over the bar, ensuring he maintained his clean sheet as Vítor Pereira’s squad took a significant stride towards safety while extending their unbeaten streak to eight games in all competitions (W5, D3).
Looking ahead, Forest will prepare for Thursday’s UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg against Aston Villa after scoring four goals in each of their last two matches. Meanwhile, Sunderland finds themselves with considerable defensive woes, having now conceded the same number and languishing in 11th place in the table.
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