Chris Wood etched his name into Nottingham Forest history, converting a decisive second-half penalty to secure a 1-0 victory over Ipswich Town at the City Ground. The New Zealand international’s composed strike brought him level with Bryan Roy as Forest’s joint-top scorer in Premier League history, with 24 goals in the competition.
Wood’s eighth league goal of the season—trailing only Erling Haaland (12) and Mohamed Salah (10) in the scoring charts—was enough to end Forest’s brief winless streak and propel them to sixth in the table. Remarkably, they now sit level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea, showcasing their strong start to the campaign.
The first half, however, was a closely contested affair. Ipswich nearly broke the deadlock on two occasions. In the 23rd minute, Forest defender Ola Aina heroically cleared Cameron Burgess’ header off the line. Ten minutes later, goalkeeper Matz Sels kept the visitors at bay with a sharp save from Omari Hutchinson’s effort.
After the break, Forest came out with greater urgency and quickly seized control. Four minutes into the second half, Jota Silva was fouled in the box by Sammie Szmodics, earning the home side a penalty. Wood stepped up confidently and blasted his spot-kick past Arijanet Muric, giving Forest the lead in emphatic fashion.
Forest nearly doubled their advantage when defender Murillo’s powerful header was tipped over the bar by Muric, but one goal proved sufficient as Ipswich struggled to muster a response. The visitors produced a lackluster second-half performance, managing just one shot on target and failing to trouble Forest’s defense.
The defeat ends Ipswich’s three-game unbeaten run and plunges them deeper into relegation trouble, dropping them to second-bottom in the table. For Forest, the victory not only bolsters their push for European qualification but also highlights the pivotal role of Wood, whose goals have been instrumental in their strong league position.
As Ipswich face an uphill battle to climb out of the drop zone, Forest continue to enjoy their resurgence under Steve Cooper, with Wood firmly at the heart of their success.
