Nottingham Forest enjoyed a 3-2 win against Southampton with a score line that doesn’t reflect the overall balance of the game.
Southampton were dead and buried by half time at the City Ground as Forest went in with a 3-0 lead.
Elliot Anderson opened the scoring with his first goal for Forest before Callum Hudson-Odoi and Chris Wood put the game out of sight.
Hudson-Odoi was subbed due to injury towards the end of the first 45 and Southampton grabbed a goal back from a corner on the hour mark.
Nikola Milenkovic thought he had made it 4-1 but his goal was controversially ruled out by VAR in a decision that angered supporters.
The visitors then scored again in the 90th minute to make it 3-2, making for a tense finish that included 12 minutes of added time and a goal-line clearance from Ola Aina.
Milenkovic’s offside goal sparked widespread misunderstanding, but the ruling has already been clarified.
Premier League reveals why Nikola Milenkovic’s goal was disallowed.
There was a lot of consternation among those inside the City Ground about why Milenkovic’s goal was disallowed.
At first sight, it appeared that there was no genuine basis to deny the towering Serb’s effort, but a Premier League statement clarified the situation, noting that Forest striker Wood had interfered throughout the build-up.
In a post on X, they stated: “The referee’s goal call was reviewed by VAR, who determined that Wood interfered with play after arriving from an offside position. Following an on-field review, the referee reversed the initial ruling and disallowed the goal.
Sky Sports analyst thinks Nikola Milenkovic is a Champions League defender.
It has not gone unnoticed by Forest fans, but the defense duo of Milenkovic and Murillo has played a significant role in their success.
The duo appears to have been playing together for years, and their awareness of how they work is a step above most combinations.
They contribute significantly to Nuno Espirito Santo’s team having the third best defence in the league, conceding only 23 goals.
Dean Ashton was covering the game for Sky Sports and singled out the defense duo, claiming that they are Champions League players.
He further added: “As long as Forest don’t get injuries, the two centre-backs have been brilliant, they can get in the Champions League.”
There’s still a long way to go, but as the number of games decreases and the points accumulate, the fantasy of Champions League music bursting out on the River Trent becomes more attainable.
