Pundits deliver Anthony Elanga and Chris Wood verdict as Nottingham Forest down Newcastle

Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy believe Anthony Elanga and Chris Wood were crucial to Nottingham Forest’s 3-1 win over Newcastle United.

Forest claimed their first win under new boss Nuno Espirito Santo to end a run of seven winless games. Wood scored a hat-trick against his old club and Alexander Isak netted the only goal for the hosts.

Nuno’s side were able to exploit the gaps left by Newcastle with Elanga playing a key role down the right hand side along with Morgan Gibbs-White in the middle.

READ MORE: ‘Amazing work’ – Verdict delivered on Chris Wood and Nottingham Forest victory at Newcastle United

READ MORE: What Nuno said on Forest win, Wood hat-trick and ‘hard decisions’

Speaking on Match of the Day, here’s what both pundits have had to say…

Murphy: “Sometimes tactics aren’t that complicated. Newcastle play a high line at home, they press and Dan Burn on the left hand side, he’s been out a few months, struggling for match fitness. Forest played Anthony Elanga on the right and decided to get the ball in behind that space down the right-hand side. Newcastle’s let every single opportunity they put in, it was so deliberate and so obvious from minute one.

“And to be fair to Elanga, he kept doing it, he kept running without the ball and going into that space. This was the pattern all through the first half especially, there was lot of space to get it to feet, easy option as a winger, then have a run in and he’s off. Elanga on that right hand side, he’s one of the quickest wingers in the Premier League, very hard to play against. [Callum] Hudson-Odoi who did well on the other side, gets the ball and then Elanga’s in, it was too often, time and time again.

“Morgan Gibbs-White, superb in that kind of number 10 position, dictating play. He can wait on his line because he knows he’s got the pace on him. Great little assist and I was amazed at half time with [Tino] Livramento on the bench, not making a change. Eddie Howe such an intelligent manager but he couldn’t see it. 10 seconds of the second half, what happens? They get the ball outright, beats him easily, whips it in and should have scored. Elanga grew in confidence as did the team.

“A brilliant assist for the goal for Chris Wood who takes it brilliantly. It shows Newcastle what he’s all about. The reality is, the game was opened up and made it easier for Forest, there was space down that right hand side. Over half of the attacks were down the right hand side and I think Nuno deserves credit because it was a definite ploy. Not like Newcastle, they’re usually good defensively, it was an off day.”

On Chris Wood, Shearer added: “He was superb. They couldn’t handle him at all today. It was alarming how they got through the middle, Wood should have had four. Newcastle’s three midfielders here, then all of a sudden they lose the ball and two passes, into Gibbs-White who was superb, then the space he’s got. Chris Wood runs in then one pass to Elanga and he [Wood’s] got a tap-in. Fantastic from Forest.

“They did it so many times and Newcastle just couldn’t handle it. One pass and he’s away from Newcastle’s midfield, one pass to Wood and he’s left one-vs-one. He turns Dan Burn and it’s such a clever finish. No problem at all for him, full of confidence. Thoroughly deserved.”

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