Nottingham Forest's Resurrected Premier League campaign: How did the Forest improved their campaign in 2024/25

The ongoing Premier League season has thrown surprises throughout the game weeks. While the season started with the big clubs returning to their business as usual and fighting for the top spots, the smaller and recently promoted clubs struggled to keep up with the pace. While the Manchester clubs have shown poor form this season, at the same time, the likes of Nottingham Forest have thrown a surprise with their charge towards European spots. 

Though the team's form has derailed in the last five games, with just two wins and three losses, they are not yet out of the Champions League race. The team has defeated Liverpool and Manchester United in their backyards to show its contention to be where it was a few decades ago in its prime. While there is a dip, the breeze of resurgence is blowing at City Ground.

Few people think it is Nottingham Forest’s luck, whereas few think it is the club punching above their weight. 

Here's what changed for Nottingham Forest in the ongoing season: 

1. Getting the managerial appointment right 

After a poor start to the previous season, Nottingham Forest sacked Steve Cooper, who got them promoted to the top flight. The club barely escaped relegation at the end of the season, with them finishing six points above the 18th-placed side and having a poor defensive and scoring record. However, the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo has worked wonders for the side, with Santo knowing the trick of getting the side rolling.

With Wolverhampton Wanderers, he made the side most relevant, even securing a place in Europe and knows the Premier League by the tip of his hand. The current manager has played his players according to their strength, yielding the desired results. 

2. Solid at the back - getting the transfer right 

One of the key aspects of the ongoing season that has kept Nottingham Forest at the top of the table is its success in the summer transfer window. While their defence leaked 67 goals in the previous season, they have conceded 18 goals in this campaign from 15 games. At this rate, they would concede fewer goals compared to last season. Nuno Espirito Santo got Nikola Milenkovic, Morato, and David Carmo in the summer transfer window for a combined fee of € 35 million, and they have been dominant in the air as well with their passing.

The form of the Belgian shot-stopper, Matz Selz, has also played a role in keeping the team’s ambitions with him performing better over the xG. The player has conceded only 18 goals when the xG was around 19. The form which the goalkeeper is in, no wonder that Forest is enjoying the run. Neco Williams and Ola Aina have fairly contributed to Forest’s success in the ongoing campaign. 

3. Chris Wood - The Sniper at the top

Who would have thought the Nottingham striker would compete alongside the likes of Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah for the coveted Golden Boot? The New Zealand international has exceeded expectations with goals and has already reached double digits, while players from clubs like Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have struggled to do the same.

In the ongoing campaign, he has 10 goals and has already overperformed the xG by a significant margin. The xG for the player remains around 6.1, whereas the 33-year-old striker has 10 to his name, overperforming the expected goals by 3.9. The direct football has yielded the results in the team’s favor, putting them in the top five of the Premier League table.

4. Can Nottingham Forest enjoy the party at the City Ground?

As the season has progressed, the difficulty gradient in terms of fixtures continues to increase. They had one of the easiest sets of fixtures at the start, whereas they face the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Aston Villa in the upcoming ten games. Amidst these, there are cup distractions, too, which might challenge Forest’s bid for a Champions League spot. 

A few seasons ago, Sheffield United also went on a mad run but could not sustain the spending or form, eventually leading to their downfall and dropping to the Championship. From spending to the form and injuries, the team struggled to keep things at bay. Nottingham Forest should ensure that they don't fall into this trap and sustain their ambitions for glory.