Super Eagles defender Ola Aina scored his first goal of the season as Nottingham Forest claimed a dominant 3-0 victory over a 10-man West Ham United on Saturday.
The win cemented Forest’s remarkable start to the Premier League season.
Nottingham Forest came into the clash as one of the league’s in-form teams, with 16 points from their opening nine games, including notable draws against Liverpool and Chelsea.
Leading the charge has been Chris Wood, who continued his strong start to the season by opening the scoring at the City Ground. The New Zealand international’s close-range header in the 27th minute, assisted by Alex Moreno’s cross, took his season tally to eight goals and put Forest in control early on.
West Ham struggled to keep up and were further hindered just before halftime when Edson Alvarez received a second yellow card for a hard foul on Anthony Elanga, reducing the Hammers to 10 men.
Despite some signs of life after the break, West Ham was dealt a major blow in the 65th minute, when Callum Hudson-Odoi’s intended cross caught Lukasz Fabianski off-guard and curled in at the far post, doubling Forest’s lead.
Aina sealed the win in the 78th minute with a stunning strike from outside the penalty box, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. Aina, who has played every game for Forest this season, has been instrumental in solidifying a defense that ranks as the second best in the league.
His compatriot, Taiwo Awoniyi, is yet to find the net this season but made a late appearance, replacing Wood in the 79th minute.
The win was Forest’s biggest Premier League victory since beating Coventry City 3-0 in August 1996.
Forest’s victory lifts them to third place in the Premier League, leapfrogging Arsenal, who had earlier lost 1-0 to Newcastle United. The win marks Forest’s first three-game Premier League winning streak since 1999 and places them just six points off league leaders Liverpool.
