Nottingham Forest player ratings vs Sheffield United – Hudson-Odoi shines, 2/10 stinks
Nottingham Forest secured a vital three points in their relegation battle with a 3-1 win over Sheffield United on Saturday (4 May).
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side kicked off at Bramall Lane knowing they were level on points with Luton Town in 17th.
Despite going behind to a Ben Brereton Diaz penalty, Forest fought back via goals from Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ryan Yates.
PLAYER RATINGS
Matz Sels [7]
A superb performance. Without the 32-year-old Forest would have likely found themselves three goals down at the break. Beaten by Brereton Diaz from the spot but otherwise a faultless display with four saves to his name.
Gonzalo Montiel [2]
Erratic and full of errors. Montiel could hardly keep his balance as he clumsily conceded an early penalty. Will be extremely lucky to keep his spot in the team next week after a lackluster performance. Ended the match having lost possession 14 times.
Willy Boly [4]
Beaten too easily and caught out of position far too often. Boly was extremely lucky that Sheffield United were unable to capitalise on one of his many mistakes. Improved in the second half but still looks prone to errors.
Murillo [6]
An island of composure in an otherwise awful defensive line. Made a huge block to deny Bogle from close range in the first half. Forest will do well to keep hold of the classy Brazilian this summer. Ended the match with five clearances, four interceptions and three blocked shots.
Ola Aina [4]
Started shakily and was one of many players who continued to lose their footing on the slippery turf. Caught out a handful of times but was bailed out by the alert Murillo.
Ryan Yates [7]
Forest fans were surprised to see Yates back in the lineup but he responded by scoring a vital goal to put them in front in the second half. However, he often looked uncomfortable in possession and ended the match having lost the ball 11 times.
Danilo [6]
Confident on the ball and covered every blade of grass for Forest. Won six of his eight ground duels. Lucky to survive a scare after an unfortunate slip gave Sheffield United a golden opportunity in the first half.
Anthony Elanga [4]
Endured a very quiet match out on the right. Struggled to penetrate from out wide and his link-up play with Wood was far too predictable. Replaced by Niakhate on the hour mark.
Morgan Gibbs-White [6]
Started brightly and put the ball on a plate for Wood before his awful miss. The 24-year-old showed once again why he is such an important cog in this Forest team with five key passes and 66 touches. Almost every attack involved him.
Callum Hudson-Odoi [9]
Dragged Forest back level with a superb finish in the first half and added to his tally with another impressive finish after the break. Hudson-Odoi has been criticised for his lack of end product this season but he popped up when it mattered here. Ended the match having completed 28 of his 30 passes [93%].
Chris Wood [3]
Abysmal. Missed two huge opportunities which could have been extremely costly in Forest’s relegation fight. Nuno Espirito Santo will be seriously missing Awoniyi at such a vital part of the season. Won just four of his 14 aerial duels and lost possession 15 times.
SUBSTITUTES
Harry Toffolo [6] – Kept possession well and was steady in defence after coming on late in the match.
Moussa Niakhate [6] – Steadied up Forest’s midfield and enjoyed a 100% pass accuracy with seven accurate passes.
Nicolas Domingeuz [] – N/A.
Taiwo Awoniyi [] – N/A.
In other news, Nottingham Forest set for ‘hefty’ new punishment
For more Nottingham Forest and exclusive news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.