Nottingham Forest have been on a bit of a surge recently and are knocking on the door of the play-off places.
Four wins and two losses in their last six games is the kind of form that has driven Forest to 10th in the table. They sat just five points shy of Middlesbrough in 6th ahead of kick-off against Derby County this weekend.
Wayne Rooney’s side have their own struggles but entered the game on an upturn in form, that has seen them climb from the foot of the table despite their 21-point deduction.
The match report
It was an even first half from both sides with not much between the two sides. Derby had the upper hand in terms of possession (51.2%/48.8%) but Forest (5) had more chances than Rooney’s side (2) over the 45 minutes.
However, it was Steve Cooper’s side that came out all guns blazing at the start of the second half. Striker Lewis Grabban (48′) fired them into an early lead with his 12th goal of the season. Forest’s pressure mounted and they limited Derby to infrequent forays and few chances.
That pressure told and the impressive Brennan Johnson (82′) increased the home side’s lead. Derby refused to give up and pulled one back, Tom Lawrence (88′) converting from the spot.
Here are three Nottingham Forest players who stood out in the win over Rooney’s Rams outfit.
Max Lowe – WhoScored rating 7.37
The 24-year-old left-sided midfielder was one of Forest’s stand-out men on the day against Derby. He saw a lot of the ball (4.4%) and his distribution (81%) was more than accurate with him completing 26 of 32 pass attempts. He also helped to keep Rooney’s side at bay with five tackles and three clearances.
James Garner – WhoScored rating 7.28
Playing in the centre of the park, 20-year-old Garner continued to impress for Nottingham Forest. He completed 19 of his 29 pass attempts – two of these were key passes setting up chances. He was also key in helping to shackle Derby County with four tackles, three interceptions and one clearance
Djed Spence – WhoScored rating 7.26
On the opposite flank, 21-year-old Spence showed flashed of why there are said to be teams taking a look at him. He saw a lot of the ball (72 touches) and completed 23 of his 34 passes. He was also another of Cooper’s players who pitched in. His four tackles, one clearance and one interception helped keep the Rams at bay.
Data derived from the Nottingham Forest vs Derby County match profile on the WhoScored.com website
