Tuesday’s briefing: Forest win again, Nwaneri blow and Potter linked to West Ham
In-form Nottingham Forest opened the door to a surprise Premier League title challenge by beating Wolves 3-0 to register a sixth win in a row.
Goals from Morgan Gibbs-White, Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi on Monday evening moved Forest level on points with second-placed Arsenal.
Elsewhere, Graham Potter is reportedly in talks to replace under-pressure West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui, Arsenal suffered another injury setback and Virgil van Dijk defended Liverpool team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold.
High-flying Forest march on
Forest’s brilliant season under Nuno Espirito Santo continued with an emphatic success over his former club at Molineux.
The visitors racked up six consecutive top-flight wins to move six points behind table-topping Liverpool.
Arne Slot’s leaders visit the City Ground next week in a clash which could decide whether Forest really are title contenders.
It was an especially good night for ex-Wolves player Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi, who gave watching England manager Thomas Tuchel food for thought with a goal and an assist respectively.
Potter to work his magic at West Ham?
Former Brighton and Chelsea boss Potter has been out of work since April 2023 when he was sacked just 31 games into a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
However, according to reports, the 49-year-old could be set to return to the game, tasked with reviving West Ham’s fortunes.
Lopetegui’s position at the London Stadium looks under serious threat following heavy defeats by Liverpool and Manchester City, while technical director Tim Steidten – a known admirer of Potter – is staying away from the club’s training ground.
The Hammers have declined to comment on the managerial situation but did say Steidten is absent from their Rush Green base as he is focusing on the January transfer window.
Nwaneri injury deals further blow to depleted Arsenal
Arsenal suffered another selection setback after teen sensation Ethan Nwaneri was ruled out for the rest of the month on the eve of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle.
The 17-year-old marked his second successive Premier League start by opening the scoring in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Brighton before being withdrawn at half-time.
Nwaneri was handed his chance as a result of injuries to Bukayo Saka, who is expected to be sidelined until March, and Raheem Sterling.
But manager Mikel Arteta now faces being without the teenager for the entirety of January, with Tuesday’s first leg against the Magpies the first of seven fixtures to come during the remainder of the month.
Van Dijk: Trent not affected by Real Madrid approach
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk does not believe Real Madrid’s interest in Trent Alexander-Arnold has impacted his team-mate’s performance.
England international Alexander-Arnold was at fault for Manchester United’s opener in Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Anfield and was generally poor throughout.
Real last week made an approach about the possibility of signing the 26-year-old, whose contract expires at the end of the season, in the current transfer window.
“I am fine with it,” Van Dijk said of the situation. “He wants to perform in the best way possible like we all do. That is the main focus.”
What’s on today?
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The Carabao Cup semi-finals begin at the Emirates Stadium with the first leg of Arsenal’s tie against Newcastle. Eddie Howe’s Magpies, who host the return match on February 5th, finished runners-up in the competition in 2023 following a 2-0 Wembley defeat to Manchester United.
In Sky Bet League One, Wycombe have the chance to return to the top of the table when they take on fellow promotion hopefuls Huddersfield at Adams Park.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie