Nottingham Forest edged past Premier League's bottom side Southampton 3-2 on Sunday to move level on points with second-placed Arsenal. 
 
Elliot Anderson and Callum Hudson-Odoi gave the home side a 2-0 lead before the half-hour mark with strikes from outside the box before Chris Wood headed home his 14th league goal of the season to put Forest firmly in control at the interval. 

However, Ivan Juric's Southampton put on a much-improved display in the second period as they pulled one back through captain Jan Bednarek, who flicked a Lesley Ugochukwu shot beyond Matz Sels on the hour. 
 
Forest thought they restored their three-goal cushion four minutes later, but their goal was overturned by VAR after Aaron Ramsdale spilled Nikola Milenkovic's header into the net.
 
Sels had to make a couple of saves to keep the Saints out before substitute Paul Onuachu set up a nervy finish in stoppage time, but Forest were able to hold on.
 
Forest sit third on goal difference after matching Arsenal on 44 points, while Southampton remain on six points, 10 behind 17th-place Wolves after 22 games.

Three points at home. pic.twitter.com/BDXkDKNbMF

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) January 19, 2025

Data Debrief: Wood proves the difference again 

It was Wood's well-placed header from an Ola Aina cross in the 41st minute that ultimately proved to be the winner at the City Ground to extend Forest's unbeaten run to eight matches (seven wins), which is their longest since 1995. 

Wood, who was also on target in the 1-1 draw against leaders Liverpool on Tuesday, has now scored in four consecutive games for Nuno Espirito Santo's side. 

Since Nuno's first game in charge of Forest in December 2023, only Alexander Isak (25) and Erling Haaland (24) have scored more non-penalty goals in the English top-flight than Wood (23).

His eight headed goals during this period are also the most by a player in the league.

Meanwhile, individual errors proved costly for the struggling Southampton again. They have made 17 errors leading to goals this season, with only Tottenham in 2013-14 (21) making more across a single campaign since 2012-13.