Nigerian international Taiwo Awoniyi made another impactful cameo off the bench as Nottingham Forest demolished Sunderland 5–0 in their English Premier League clash on Friday night.
Awoniyi, displaying sharp awareness in the penalty area, chose to square the ball instead of going for goal himself, setting up Elliot Anderson to tap in from close range and complete the rout.
The visitors had already taken control earlier in the game when Trai Hume turned the ball into his own net for an unfortunate opener. Chris Wood then doubled Forest’s lead, before Morgan Gibbs-White added a third. Igor Jesus rounded off a dominant first-half display with the fourth goal.
Forest’s blistering performance saw them score four times in a remarkable 20-minute spell before the break, effectively putting the game beyond reach.
The emphatic victory extends Forest’s unbeaten run and significantly boosts their survival hopes. They now sit on 39 points from 34 matches, eight points clear of Tottenham Hotspur, who occupy the final relegation spot.
Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley have already been relegated from the top flight, leaving Forest in a stronger position as the season approaches its climax.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
