Chris Wood Praises Nottingham Forest's Resilience After Dominant 7-0 Win Against Brighton

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Chris Wood praised Nottingham Forest's resilience after their emphatic 7-0 victory over Brighton, following a heavy defeat at Bournemouth. Wood's hat-trick was pivotal in securing Forest's largest league win since they defeated Chelsea 7-0 in April 1991. This performance marked a significant turnaround for the team.

Lewis Dunk inadvertently opened the scoring for Forest with an own goal. Morgan Gibbs-White then extended the lead by heading in from Anthony Elanga's corner. Just before halftime, Wood found the net, and he added two more goals shortly after the break to complete his hat-trick. Neco Williams and substitute Jota Silva rounded off the scoring.

Wood became the first Forest player to score a top-flight hat-trick at the City Ground since Nigel Clough achieved this feat against QPR in December 1987. With 17 league goals this season, Wood has set a personal record for most goals in a single Premier League campaign. Only Stan Collymore, with 22 goals in the 1994-95 season, has scored more for Forest in one season.

Despite his individual success, Wood emphasized his teammates' contributions to this victory, which brought Nuno Espirito Santo's side level on points with second-placed Arsenal. Reflecting on their previous 5-0 loss to Bournemouth, Wood told TNT Sports, "It wasn't us last week, but today was definitely us."

Two of Wood's goals were set up by Anthony Elanga, who also assisted Gibbs-White for Forest's second goal. Elanga became only the second Forest player to provide three or more assists in a single Premier League match since Bryan Roy did so against Sheffield Wednesday in April 1995.

The partnership between Wood and Elanga has been fruitful; they have combined for 11 Premier League goals since last season began. Only Chelsea's Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson have combined for more during this period. Elanga’s ten assists for Wood are unmatched by any other player for a specific teammate.

A Strong Partnership

Wood expressed admiration for his connection with Elanga, saying, "We know the relationship that we have." He acknowledged Elanga’s contribution: "A hat-trick of assists never goes unnoticed." This bond is evident in their impressive statistics together.

This victory showcased Nottingham Forest’s ability to bounce back strongly after setbacks. Their teamwork and individual performances were crucial in achieving such a commanding win against Brighton.