Russell Martin insists he will not sacrifice his possession-based philosophy but he will surely need to modify it this season after his toothless Southampton team misfired on their Premier League homecoming against Nottingham Forest.
Martin will plead patience over his penchant for a short passing style – with his team having about two-thirds of the possession – but Southampton spluttered in front of their fans and were fortunate not to concede during a meagre first half. Nuno Espírito Santo’s Forest were rewarded with the winner through the midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, with Southampton offering little in response. They still await a first goal and point since their return to the top flight.
Martin, whose side mustered only one shot on target compared with Forest’s eight, said: “Ultimately we concede from a set piece and at a moment we were so on top. It’s not good enough. We didn’t play well enough in the first half. There was a lot of tension in the stadium. Out of eagerness we just turned the ball over and that’s the worst thing you can do against Forest.
“We adapted brilliantly and were on top in the second half and then we conceded a rubbish goal. We turned the ball over too much. I didn’t enjoy the first half. Too many turnovers and forced passes. They just need to relax and trust the way we play.”
Southampton selected an unchanged team after their opening defeat at Newcastle. Forest made two changes from the side held at home by Bournemouth. The defender Nikola Milenkovic and the former Newcastle midfielder Elliot Anderson were handed their full debuts in place of Willy Boly and the injured Danilo after the Brazilian broke his ankle last weekend.
A bright start from Forest resulted in the first opportunity but Chris Wood could only scuff his shot from Anthony Elanga’s pass straight into the hands of Alex McCarthy. The busy Southampton goalkeeper was soon forced into another save, blocking Neco Williams’s strike with his legs.
Forest were imposing themselves and cut Southampton open again, with Ola Aina bursting clear down the left wing, but his cross was headed straight at McCarthy by Wood. Nuno was shown a yellow card after he reacted angrily to a rash challenge by Ben Brereton Díaz on Elanga that did not result in a booking for the Southampton forward.
Ibrahim Sangaré fired in an attempt from the edge of the area that was deflected narrowly over the crossbar as Forest continued to threaten a breakthrough. Southampton were struggling to trouble the visitors, whose keeper Matz Sels was untested in the opening half hour.
Forest frittered away a great opportunity to take a deserved lead, with Milenkovic sidefooting wide from Wood’s low cross. Kyle Walker-Peters belatedly forced the hosts’ first effort on target when the defender, cutting inside from the left, drilled a shot straight into the arms of Sels. At the other end, Williams fired narrowly wide from the edge of the area as Forest failed to turn their dominance into a half-time advantage.
Southampton’s Misfiring Attack
Southampton tried to up the ante after the break but the newly promoted club were still unable to trouble their opponents. Elanga, meanwhile, looked lively, the former Manchester United attacker running at the Southampton defence only to see his strike was deflected out for a corner as Forest pressed for the opener. The breakthrough finally arrived, Forest deservedly taking the lead after Callum Hudson-Odoi’s cross was headed towards goal by Gibbs-White. His initial attempt was blocked by the right-back Yuki Sugawara but Gibbs-White followed up to drill the ball into the net.
Forest almost doubled their lead through Hudson-Odoi but the former Chelsea winger’s shot was parried away by McCarthy. Southampton emptied their bench in search of a cutting edge but Forest were untroubled and their first victory of the season should have been by a greater margin.
A Positive Start for Forest
Nuno, whose side have taken four points from their opening two matches, said: “I think we played a very good game. We were dominant and it’s always tough to play away from home. Overall a very good performance from us.”
Forest’s performance at St Mary’s was one of their best since they returned to the Premier League. They mustered 23 shots, including eight on target — their highest tally in an away league game since January 2022 when they managed 24 at Millwall in the Championship. They had an expected goals (xG) of 2.2, compared with Southampton’s meagre 0.2. It was the highest xG Forest have recorded away since their rampant 3-1 victory at Newcastle United on Boxing Day 2023 (3.5).
It was not quite the first step because, either side of the summer break, this was Forest’s third away win in succession. That comes with caveats: all three have come against sides either just relegated back to the Championship, the fate that had befallen Sheffield United and Burnley at the end of last season, and now a side recently promoted from the second tier.
But the last time Forest won three away games on the bounce was in 1995. They won four games on the road in a row — including a memorable 7-1 success at Sheffield Wednesday — on their way to a remarkable third-place finish and a return to European competition.
Forest's Tactical Edge
But it was not just Forest’s attacking threat that was a source of encouragement. It was the streetwise nature of their performance.
When Forest returned to the Premier League in August 2022, they were naive. It took Cooper several months to realise Forest would need to be more cautious to survive.
This was only one game, but it was enough to suggest that Nuno has used the summer to work with intensity on the training ground. Forest look more Premier League savvy.
Nikola Milenkovic, on his Forest debut following his arrival from Fiorentina, defended solidly and with purpose. His use of the ball was also efficient, making 29 passes with an accuracy of 96.6 per cent. The 26-year-old Serbian was constantly marshalling the back four, pointing, cajoling and offering instructions. Milenkovic was signed because it was felt by Forest’s recruitment team that he would make the perfect partner for the prodigiously talented but less experienced Murillo. That logic already makes sense.
Matz Sels did not have a meaningful save to make. Even when Southampton were desperately pushing for a late equaliser, throwing caution to the wind, they very rarely gained a sight of goal. They had one shot on target all afternoon.
Left-back Ola Aina was a constant source of menace with his pace and drive. He also got on the ball as much as anyone, making 50 passes — 14 more than anyone else — with a passing accuracy of 90 per cent. Alex Moreno, who joined Forest on loan from Aston Villa last week, will provide another quality and decidedly attack-minded option on the left. There was little wrong with Neco Williams’ industrious performance but you sense Aina will soon switch over to the right flank, where he is very capable of playing, to accommodate Moreno. It would be harsh on Williams, but it should make Forest stronger still.
Nuno generally likes to bed in additions slowly. Winger Ramon Sosa — regarded as one of the brightest talents in Argentine football — could make his debut in the Carabao Cup against Newcastle on Wednesday. Jota Silva had only a brief cameo as an 89th-minute substitute at St Mary’s.
In midfield, Elliot Anderson was selected ahead of Ryan Yates as the replacement for Danilo. Yates was unfortunate to find himself on the bench given the quality of his performance against Bournemouth, when he came on following the Brazilian’s unfortunate ankle injury. But Anderson justified the decision as he and Ibrahim Sangare — who was good until he picked up a yellow card for failing to retreat from a free kick — dominated midfield. Anderson made four tackles sitting in front of the back four (Sangare made three) and boasted a passing accuracy of 91.7 per cent from 36 passes.
You could even (almost) claim Forest had scored from a set piece as Southampton failed to properly clear a corner. Callum Hudson-Odoi eventually curled the ball back in and the impressive Morgan Gibbs-White converted after seeing his initial header blocked. This was all refreshingly promising.
Forest have not put their struggles away from home completely behind them but they have, at the very least, suggested they have the tools to do so.
