Adrian Clarke looks at the key tactical points and players that could be decisive in Matchweek 10.

Player analysis – Chris Wood (Nott’s Forest)

Sometimes a manager and player combination is just a click away, and this is certainly the case when: Nottingham ForestWhere Wood likes to play under Nuno Espirito Santo.

The New Zealander has worked with the Portuguese coach, scoring four goals in his first two matches; This included his magnificent hat-trick in the 1st minute. Newcastle United In December 2023.

Continuing in similar vein, Nuno is also the only Premier League player to score more non-penalty goals than Wood’s 17 since his first match in charge at the City Ground on December 23, 2023. Erling Haalandwith 18.

The 32-year-old player, who made a remarkable comeback by scoring a total of 18 goals in 25 matches under Nuno’s management, is in the best form of his career.

For context, Wood had found the net just four times in his previous 25 senior appearances.

His Premier League career figures (see below) show just how clinical this experienced centre-forward has been under Nuno.

Wood’s goals per manager record

*Blocks included

Playing to Wood’s strengths

Wood has always thrived on teams that put their men behind the ball before attacking quickly.

This is Forest’s greatest strength from a 4-2-3-1 base.

Leeds United’s impressive spell in the Championship between 2015 and 2017 was under Steve Evans and Garry Monk, two head coaches who built their teams in similar fashion.

He shined at Burnley too Sean DycheHe is a coach known for his direct style of play, even in the form of 4-4-2.

Strong in the air, Wood likes to play in flanks with wingers and is also excellent at putting defenders under pressure with deceptively powerful runs.

This drive was clearly visible when he ran. Nikola Milenkovicknockout to score a goal in volleyball Chelsea – and when he runs towards the goalkeeper Matz Sels‘ He had a long distance to the net in the last break in the 3-1 win City of Leicester (see below).

precision shooting

Of all players to have recorded at least 15 unblocked shots so far in the 2024/25 season, it is Wood who leads the way in accuracy.

Wood was extremely efficient with his final product, hitting the target with 81.25 percent of his efforts (13 out of 16).

In total, 22 Premier League players have attempted more shots than Wood’s 19, but as of now Wood is only playing against Haaland and Bryan Mbeumo In the Golden Shoe race.

West Ham UnitedThe team, who have faced 142 deliveries so far, the fourth highest in this competition, will need to ensure they limit serves in Wood’s direction at the City Ground.

Wood on par with Wood Stan Collymore He scored 22 goals for Forest in the Premier League, just two behind the Dutchman Bryan Roy (24), the club’s top scorer in the tournament.

According to Opta’s Expected Goals (xG) metric, Wood is expected to have fewer strikes to his name this season, outperforming his xG by an impressive 3.27.

BrentfordMbeumo and Ipswich Town forward Liam Delap They are the only people who can make this better.

Over-performance in Biggest Expected Goals

Wood’s superb strike against Leicester (see below) was a truly standout effort, as was his long-range effort on the home volley. Crystal Palace.

Wood’s first goal against Leicester

The shot placement map below from the campaign to this point demonstrates the lethal nature of his game.

After nine rounds of play, only one of his shots into the corner had been saved by a Premier League goalkeeper.

Are you too dependent on Wood?

Nuno will be thrilled with Wood’s form but may also be a little concerned when assessing his side’s goalscoring overall.

Only four Forest players have scored a senior goal and none have found the back of the net more than once.

Wood’s backup Taiwo Awoniyi He hasn’t scored since February, meaning there is a heavy reliance on the former to help the team score goals.

Highest share in the team’s goals 24/25

*Min. five goals

No Premier League team is currently more reliant on a single striker than Forest.

Standing at 1.80m tall, Wood poses an obvious threat in the air but only two of his seven goals have come from headers. This shows how comprehensive his finishing is.

West Ham would be well advised to keep a close eye on the red-hot Wood this weekend.

Next: Adrian Clarke on Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo