Today was a welcome return to such happiness…

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The Mag

·6 octobre 2025

Today was a welcome return to such happiness…

A very topsy turvy week preceded this Forest game.

As we dallied with beating Arsenal, lost horribly and found ourselves 15th in the Premier League table. Amidst the threat of pants being wee’d, ill-advised gloating from mackems and general overblown hysteria at an opening to the season that had seen defeats only to three of the finest teams in Europe/the world, Newcastle United suddenly course corrected with a thumping midweek win in Belgium.

Vidéos OneFootball

The walloping of USG not only set up the Champions League campaign to look far more positive, but also got the buoyancy up for the visit of an opponent that could present a useful springboard for a return to Premier League form.

Let’s look at a few facts here.

Some may enjoy the misery of dwelling on Chris Wood’s mind blowing Boxing Day hat-trick some two years back, but that belies the truth here, which is that Newcastle have won every other match between the two since Forest returned to the top flight in 2022. Throw in a League Cup success that set us on the path to actually win the trophy and that’s six wins from seven.

A welcome opponent then, historically, but that’s before you get into the detail of where Forest are now, with three wins from the last 18 games and no clean sheets in six months. That’s bad, but it’s got worse since Big Whinge Postecoglou plompfed himself down in their dug out, with zero wins from his six games in charge, culminating in alarmingly early shouts for his head from the home fans at the end of a dispiriting 3-2 defeat at home to Midtjylland in the Europa League on Thursday.

Oh yes, that’s the other thing, they have begun the affliction of playing in Europe on Thursday and turning up knackered on the Sunday after, having neither the squad nor the experience to cope with this (see also Crystal Palace from now on). So, in a nutshell, we should be beating these.

The first half did not really deliver. Gordon and Elanga were as anonymous today as they were electric in Brussels. Elanga seemed to be trying too hard against his former employers, whereas Gordon was over-inclined to go backwards or infield. Neither could affect any sort of breakthrough and it feels like Elanga in particular will benefit from the eventual introduction of Wissa as a more traditional Johnny-on-the-spot target man, as when he does whip the quick deliveries in they are often too sharp for the deeper lying Nick Woltemade.

I have to call out here though, that United’s star man in the opening half for my money, was the player I can only refer to as Vintage Kieran Trippier. Tripps played the attacking full back role he has adapted in so many good times with aplomb and it was his delivery that brought a snapshot from Joelinton that Matt Sels reacted brilliantly to save. Yes, that’s the same Matz Sels that stunk that very same goalmouth out for months in 2016 before being put out of his misery and replaced with the far more reliable Karl Darlow, but that, children, is a story for another day.

In today’s story, Sels has somehow become a golden glove winning Premier League star. When Botman headed Trippier’s corner back across goal, Joelinton did brilliantly to get his header on target up against about four Forest players, only for Sels to pull off another Dino Zoff calibre stop. Where was this showboating when you were getting us beat off Huddersfield mate?

I feared that a goalless half-time might see Forest grow in confidence but the second half only had one team in it. I had to wince when Gordon put a cross over that felt like it would have picked Wissa out, only for the Forest defender fudge it to a clearly surprised Big Nick. He lashed a shot in first time but it was desperately blocked.

The hour mark approached and you felt like it might get uncomfortable if we didn’t start winning, so it was a relief when we started winning in some style. Forest attempted to break only for Bruno to stand up and rob the ball from Gibbs-White. It broke to Dan Burn, who advanced before squaring it to Bruno in space, where he took a touch and pinged it so superbly into the top corner that the actual Dino Zoff wouldn’t have had a chance, so the man who handed Nakhi Wells and Jack Payne victory for the Terriers here nine years ago wasn’t getting near.

I did get a bit alarmed at the sight of Trippier working the ref as visiting players surrounded him to protest the fact that Bruno had taken the ball off them prior to scoring. Fair play to the officials for deeming that this is how football works and they weren’t about to chalk off a magnificent goal just because someone enjoys being soft. 1-0.

The floodgates threatened to open here. Tonali produced a magnificent first time cushioned volley from Trippier’s floated cross that was heading for both the top corner and the goal of the season run down, until Sels realised he wasn’t up against an inexpensively assembled Yorkshire side and managed to do more tremendous goalkeeping.

He had no chance when Joelinton’s header was blocked and broke for Woltemade to unleash a thunderbolt, but it smacked back off the bar with such force it effectively cleared the danger. The thought emerged that we could do with a second to seal this. It arrived unexpectedly with a favour from an old friend.

A slightly hopeful ball forward from Burn was gathered by Milenkovic, who was immediately pressured by Woltemade. He got rid as far as Elliot Anderson but the horrible pass allowed Bruno to pressure. Anderson lunged in, Bruno went over and what looked like a soft penalty from my seat was absolutely nailed on with the benefit of the replay.

Interesting here, as Big Nick grabbed the ball and waited out the whole pre-penalty rigmarole in his desperation to take the kick. With Gordon off the pitch by now there were no contending voices and the German was clearly reflecting in the fact he might have had a hat-trick if given spot-kick duties in Belgium. It was soon clear to see why he might have thought that as he unleashed a flame-riddled thunderbolt into the top corner of the net in a fashion that might have reminded the Forest goalie of times gone by when he was equally as helpless against strikes of lesser power and accuracy from certain sides that shouldn’t have won here. I’d keep Nick on pens now like.

Newcastle are a team that should always be winning here and today was a welcome return to such happiness. It could and maybe should have been more, but last weekend it felt incumbent that we beat USG and Forest, so things look a sight rosier with those victories in the bag.

The hope now has to be that the international break brings some better fitness news. Ramsey is almost certain to be back in contention, Wissa likely to need longer and Livramento a good six weeks away. Howe’s comment that Lewis Hall’s hamstring needs another scan does not bode well. It’s a relief to have classic Trippier to cover one full back position, perhaps less so to have Burn out of position there. Get well soon all and let’s string together the sort of autumn that terrifies the life out of the whole continent.

Happy bloody international break.

Newcastle 2 Nottingham Forest 0 – Sunday 5 October 2025 2pm

Goals:

Bruno 58 Woltemade 84 pen

Forest:

Possession was Newcastle 52% Forest 48%

Total shots were Newcastle 18 Forest 5

Shots on target were Newcastle 9 Forest 4

Corners were Newcastle 8 Forest 1

Touches in the box Newcastle 33 Forest 16

Newcastle team v Forest:

Pope, Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Bruno, Joelinton (Miley 92), Tonali, Gordon (Barnes 70), Woltemade (Osula 92), Elanga (Murphy 70)