Analysing Nottingham Forest’s Recent Premier League Upturn

149

When newly-promoted Nottingham Forest picked up a solitary win from their first 11 Premier League games, they looked destined for a swift return to the Championship. But a lot has changed since then.

Ahead of Matchday 23, the Tricky Trees find themselves thirteenth in the table – six points outside the relegation zone and nine points clear of bottom club Southampton.

All of a sudden, Forest are looking up rather than over their shoulders, and the top half of the table is within touching distance. So, how did Steve Cooper manage to galvanize his new-look squad and transform the club’s fortunes?

First and foremost, Cooper has made Forest hard to beat. Not only have the Reds lost just one of their last eight league matches, but they have also lost two of their previous 11.

Forest have been especially strong on home soil of late, racking up a seven-game unbeaten streak at the City Ground, with four wins coming in their past six league encounters on Trentside.

Thanks to a five-game unbeaten run since the turn of the year – with three wins and two draws coming in that time – Cooper’s side have picked up more Premier League points than any other team in 2023.

Forest have also made drastic defensive improvements in recent months. After conceding 21 goals across their opening eight Premier League matches, they have conceded 14 in their previous 13 league outings.

In addition to keeping three clean sheets in their last five league games, the Tricky Trees have kept six clean sheets across the previous 11.

Goalkeeper Dean Henderson played a key role in Forest’s turnaround before picking up an injury. However, the hugely experienced Keylor Navas joined on loan from Paris Saint-Germain and kept a debut clean sheet in last weekend’s 1-0 win against Leeds United.

At the opposite end of the pitch, Brennan Johnson appears to have adapted to top-flight football following a slow start to the season – bagging three goals and two assists in his last four league appearances.

On top of that, high-profile signings such as Morgan Gibbs-White, Danilo, Renan Lodi, Remo Freuler and Serge Aurier have shown great consistency in recent weeks.

There is still a long way to go, of course, with almost half of the season reaming. Accordingly, Cooper and his players cannot afford to rest on their laurels.

However, if they carry on the way they’re going, Nottingham Forest will give themselves an excellent chance of avoiding relegation and cementing a commendable mid-table berth come the end of the campaign.