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The Nigerian's brace at Chelsea secured a point for Steve Cooper's men, which could have relegation implications for the Tricky Trees and the teams around them.
On the day Southampton lost their Premier League status, Taiwo Awoniyi’s bravery and decisive execution at Chelsea earned Nottingham Forest a point that could be crucial in avoiding immediate relegation from the big time.
Forest have thrown caution to the wind in recent weeks, and two of the club’s summer arrivals have been protagonists.
Much was made about the season-long squad upheaval at both clubs before this weekend, despite the chasm in transfer outlay in West London and West Bridgford.
Chelsea and Forest's transfer splurge
The Blues had used 33 players in the league this season, one more than the side they welcomed to Stamford Bridge.
Both clubs had seen their respective owners commit to grand recruitment drives in the summer and winter windows this season, even if it was a necessity for the Tricky Trees after loanees returned to their parent clubs.
Forest twice smashed their record transfer outlay before the start of their Premier League return in 23 years, with Morgan Gibbs-White’s £25m (£42.5 including add-ons) August arrival eclipsing Awoniyi’s £17.5m acquisition two months earlier.
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22:11 - 08.05.2023
Taiwo Awoniyi scores brace in a seven goal thriller as Nottingham Forest move out of relegation zone
Nottingham Forest secures an important victory against Southampton as they move out of the relegation zone.
Interestingly, both players are playing significant roles in Forest’s run-in.
Impressive Awoniyi and Gibbs-White
Gibbs-White had been involved in four goals (three goals, two assists) before Saturday’s visit to Stamford Bridge and the Nigeria international set the Tricky Trees on their way in a chaotic Monday that produced 21 goals in three games involving sides in the relegation scrap.
Awoniyi's brace in the 4-3 win over Southampton was not handed to him. Both one-touch finishes were tucked away with aplomb, with the second seeing him smash home a volley on the swivel despite the close attention of Armel Bella-Kotchap.
He repeated the trick in round 36’s encounter at Chelsea, matching Brennan Johnson as the only player to score more than once in a single game in multiple games.
While Johnson waited two months to score two Premier League braces (Leicester City in January and Everton in March), the Super Eagle matched the Welshman in the same week.
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Forest could have wished for more at the Bridge but will take a point in West London in a topsy-turvy game that saw both teams lose their leads.
Awoniyi was a beneficiary of Edouard Mendy’s head-scratching misjudgement to head into an unguarded goal early on, even if credit must go to the Nigerian for rising higher than Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile from Renan Lodi’s perfect cross.
The Forest striker’s second headed goal of the afternoon came less than four minutes after Raheem Sterling’s netted his brace, pulling away from the cluster of bodies around the penalty area to divert Orel Mangala’s cross past Mendy.
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21:07 - 13.05.2023
Cooper praises Awoniyi for learning from his mistake
Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper sang praises of Taiwo Awoniyi who he thought was brave to get on the end of chances against Chelsea.
It was another set-piece goal conceded by Chelsea this season, and Forest netted both goals from as many shots on target on Saturday.
Awoniyi's commendable debut Premier League season
Awoniyi has now found the back of the net eight times in his debut Premier League season, doubling his previous tally of four in two gameweeks to move level with Johnson as Forest’s joint-top scorer.
Both men are two goals shy of hitting double figures this term, but the Nigerian has started 15 of his 25 appearances for the Tricky Trees to the Welshman’s 32 starts from 36 appearances. Interestingly, all of the Super Eagle’s goals have come from open play.
Two games is a small sample size, yet the current situation points to Awoniyi catching fire at the perfect time in Forest’s season after recovering from the groin injury that has limited him to just 15 league starts.
Forest's tricky run-in
Cooper’s men host Arsenal in the penultimate round of games, a game Mikel Arteta’s men will be desperate to win if they secure maximum points against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
Forest are guaranteed to finish outside the relegation places after this weekend, although Everton could leapfrog the 16th-placed side if they stun Manchester City, and Leicester City could be one point shy of Cooper’s side if they defeat in-form Liverpool on Monday. The twists are far from over.
The Tricky Trees scored more than once on two occasions since the start of the New Year till mid-April.
However, Forest have netted two goals or higher in four of their last five league games, with high-scoring games seemingly the new normal for a team aware of its desperate situation.
In that time, they gave it a real go at Anfield despite losing 3-2, beat FA Cup semi-finalists and Europe-chasing Brighton 3-1, led 1-0 until the final 10 minutes at Brentford and were fast out of the gate in the 4-3 triumph over relegated Southampton.
Forest showed little interest in getting more than a point at the Bridge in the final 20 minutes, happy to take only their seventh away point of a tiring season and back themselves in their final two games against the Gunners and another London side Crystal Palace on the last day.
Next weekend’s game with Arsenal could be their last home Premier League fixture for a while, but it could also edge them closer to survival and participation next season.
With Awoniyi in this form, the battling Tricky Trees have a fighting chance.
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17:42 - 13.05.2023
Our plan against Chelsea worked — Awoniyi after his brace
Nottingham Forest ace Taiwo Awoniyi speaks after his brace denied Chelsea three points.
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