Nottingham Forest made short work of Premier League basement boys Southampton to maintain their strong start to the season.
Forest took a 3-0 lead in the first half as Elliot Anderson scored his first goal in red, which was followed by Callum Hudson-Odoi and prolific forward Chris Wood.
Southampton got one back immediately before the hosts thought they had a fourth goal of the afternoon at the City Ground, but the celebrations were cut short when Nikola Milkenkovic’s header was controversially ruled out.
The visiting team scored again in second-half stoppage time, making it a little tense finish, but Forest held on for another victory.
It would have been a near-perfect afternoon for Nuno Espirito Santo if Hudson-Odoi had not been forced to leave the ground shortly after the half-hour mark due to an injury.
He received a standing ovation following a tremendous performance, highlighted by a magnificent goal, and what the Forest owner did at halftime spoke volumes about the winger’s influence.
Nottingham Forest’s owner pays a visit to Hudson-Odoi following an injury scare.
Hudson-Odoi appeared to be holding his groin as he left the pitch to a standing ovation at City Ground.
It was a tragic finish for someone who appeared to be a continuous threat whenever he was on the ball, undoubtedly giving Southampton defenders nightmares for days.
Forest’s brotherhood runs deep, and nothing exemplified that better than Evangelos Marinakis’ actions at halftime.
According to Sky Sports’ Gail Davis, Marinakis went down to the changing room at halftime to see Hudson-Odoi and check on him.
She went on: “When Hudson-Odoi came off he holding his groin – and the Nottm Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis popped down at half-time to see him.”
Marinakis is well-known for welcoming the players in the tunnel at full-time before each game, and while there has been no news on the former England Under-21 international as of writing, there are hopes it is not as serious as first thought.
Callum Hudson-Odoi’s stats versus Southampton
His time on the field was brief, but it was quite enjoyable.
The 24-year-old’s 38-minute cameo was one of the highlights of the day in the East Midlands, and he deservedly scored.
Himself and Anderson appeared to desire a goal of the season contest, but that’s a topic for another day.
He passed almost flawlessly, averaging an over 90% completion percentage and making a vital pass.
If he had been able to play the entire game, there’s a good probability he would have increased his tally and caused more issues for the visitors.
