Wolves 0 Nottingham Forest 3 (Gibbs-White 7, Wood 44, Awoniyi 90+4)
Wolves suffered defeat to Nottingham Forest under the lights at Molineux in their first game of 2025.
Two first half counter-attacking goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood saw the Old Gold trailing at the break.
Wolves had failed to take their chances before the break and struggled to create many after it, and Taiwo Awoniyi wrapped up the win for the visitors in second half injury time, subjecting Vitor Pereira to a first loss in the Molineux dugout.
Just seven minutes into the contest, it was the visitors who struck first. Gibbs-White picked up the ball in his own half and drove toward the penalty box, before slipping it to an arriving Anthony Elanga who returned the favour to set up Gibbs-White for a first-time finish past Jose Sa.
Wolves gained a foothold in the game and began to create chances, with the visitors content to defend and hit their opponents on the counter-attack.
Jorgen Strand Larsen had Wolves’ two best chances of the first half. First, Hee Chan Hwang picked up a loose ball in the Forest half, drove toward goal, and he cut back to find Strand Larsen in the six-yard box, but his effort was blocked on the line by Murillo. The Norwegian later connected with Rodrigo Gomes’ whipped delivery, but his close-range header was saved by Sels.
More chances came to fruition for Wolves, this time Rodrigo Gomes went close after he met Matt Doherty’s cross. His first touch was enough to set himself for a half volley, however his well-struck effort was turned over by Sels at point-blank range.
After dominant spells from the hosts, it was the visitors who snatched the second goal of the game. Callum Hudson-Odoi broke free on the left side and arrived inside the penalty area, before picking out Wood who tapped into an unguarded net.
Half-time | Wolves 0–2 Nottingham Forest
The opening 10 minutes of the second half were scrappy, with neither side able to keep control of the football, and a series of loose balls from both sides breaking up patterns of play.
Forest threatened with their first attempt at goal of the second 45, with Elliot Anderson going close. Elanga drove down the right flank before he played a reverse ball back to Anderson whose effort narrowly missed the target.
The hosts responded with their best chance of the half when Goncalo Guedes got the better of the Forest midfield, before he released Strand Larsen through on goal, but his effort was turned behind for a corner by Sels.
Wolves struggled to create clear-cut chances as the game wore on, and frustration began to grow. Forest’s change to a back five later in the half kept the hosts further at bay.
With Wolves pushing players forward in search of a late comeback, Forest capitalised and hit Wolves on the break as Hudson-Odoi broke free and played James Ward-Prowse into the penalty area, and he rolled across for Taiwo Awoniyi to finish past Sa.
Pereira’s unbeaten start came to an end at Molineux, leaving Wolves outside of the drop zone on goal difference.
Full-Time | Wolves 0–3 Nottingham Forest
Wolves | Sa, Lima (Bellegarde 59), Doherty, Bueno, Ait-Nouri, R. Gomes, Doyle (Lemina 59), J. Gomes, Guedes (Sarabia 75), Hwang (Forbs 75), Strand Larsen
Subs not used | Johnstone, Meupiyou, Cundle, Pond, Okoduwa.
Forest | Sels, Williams, Milenkovic, Murrilo, Aina, Anderson (Jota 69), Dominguez (Morato 60), Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White (Ward-Prowse 88), Elanga (Yates 69), Wood (Awoniyi 88).
Subs not used | Miguel, Moreno, Sosa, Boly.
By Callum Greybanks
