Chris Wood’s brace propelled Nottingham Forest to a resounding 3-1 victory over Leicester City in a thrilling East Midlands derby at the King Power Stadium. The New Zealand striker’s goals condemned his former manager, Steve Cooper, to defeat in his first encounter with Forest since his dismissal in December.
Forest seized the initiative early on, with Ryan Yates capitalizing on a defensive lapse by Leicester to curl a low strike into the bottom corner. However, the Foxes responded swiftly, with Jamie Vardy equalizing from close range after a teasing cross from Harry Winks.
The second half witnessed a flurry of action, with Wood restoring Forest’s lead with a deft finish after controlling Elliot Anderson’s pass. Leicester’s appeals for a penalty were waved away, and Wood punished their poor defending once more, heading home a long punt from Matz Sels.
The victory marked Forest’s second consecutive win and lifted them into fifth place in the Premier League standings. They have lost just once in nine league games this season, vindicating their decision to replace Cooper with Nuno Espirito Santo.
Cooper, who spent two years in charge of Forest, guiding them back to the Premier League after a 23-year absence, expressed disappointment with his team’s performance. “It’s self-inflicted, no doubt about that,” he said. “We made poor mistakes for the goals.”
Nuno, serving the second game of a suspension, watched from the press box as his team secured a memorable victory. “Chris deserves his plaudits,” he said. “He’s done an amazing job. He’s very honest and he gives everything on the pitch for us.”
