Sports

Guimaraes double helps Newcastle beat Forest


Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United celebrates with Fabian Schar
Guimaraes scored two goals in a game for the first time since October 2022

Bruno Guimaraes’ sublime second-half strike helped Newcastle United to a 3-2 victory against Nottingham Forest in a lively Premier League encounter.

Forest twice fought back from behind with Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi cancelling out goals from Guimaraes and Fabian Schar.

But Guimaraes secured the three points for the visitors with a brilliant finish in the 66th minute.

Victory lifts Newcastle up to seventh in the table, closer to the European places.

“We have to get Europe again,” Guimaraes told Sky Sports. “Try for Champions League, I know it’s difficult but definitely for Europa League.”

Newcastle finished fourth in the Premier League last season to secure a place in the Champions League for the first time since 2003.

The Magpies are 11 points off fourth-placed Tottenham, but Kieran Tripper said Newcastle have a “never say never” attitude towards qualifying for Europe’s premier competition.

Meanwhile, a defeat for Forest leaves them just two points clear of the relegation zone.

After a dramatic 4-4 draw against Luton Town the previous weekend, Eddie Howe’s side played out another thrilling game.

Newcastle pulled off a clever short corner routine to go ahead in the 10th minute, with Kieran Tripper whipping a fierce ball to the back post where Guimaraes had timed his arrival to perfection to poke home the volley.

The atmosphere around the City Ground improved drastically when Morgan Gibbs-White threaded a well-weighted ball through the centre of the pitch and Elanga outpaced Newcastle’s defenders to slot it past Martin Dubravka.

In a first half full of momentum shifts, Newcastle restored their lead as Schar met Sven Botman’s header on the half-volley, firing it back across goal and into the bottom left corner.

Again Forest responded, with Hudson-Odoi’s strike from 20 yards out taking a big deflection off Lewis Miley to wrong-foot Dubravka.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side may feel hard done by after referee Anthony Taylor waved away two penalty appeals, first for a light shove on Elanga by Anthony Gordon and then for Dubravka’s outstretched arms bringing down Taiwo Awoniyi.

Forest pushed forward in search of a third equaliser, but a lack of a clinical finisher in front of goal cost them as they failed to make a single shot on target in the second half.

Guimaraes shines to save Newcastle

One moment of brilliance from Guimaraes proved the difference for Newcastle and he was met with a huge roar from the away fans after full-time.

The Brazilian made a clever run into the box for his first, and he showed the same footballing intelligence for the winning goal – latching on to a loose pass from Elanga before looking up and perfectly picking out his spot in the Forest net.

However, concerns will remain for Howe over his side’s defensive record, having failed to keep a clean sheet since before Christmas.

The Newcastle boss was forced to defend Dan Burn earlier in the week, calling him “Newcastle through and through” after he came under scrutiny for his performance against Luton.

Aston Villa’s Leon Bailey and Luton’s Chiedozie Ogbene tormented the defender for speed in Newcastle’s last two league outings and Elanga was able to target the same weakness here, peeling away from Burn for Forest’s first equaliser.

Forest still searching for first league win of 2024

Forest find themselves in a perilous position in the Premier League, sitting 16th in the table with only a two-point safety cushion.

They may feel unlucky to have come away from Saturday’s match without a point, having twice fought back from a goal down and pushing hard in the dying moments.

Perhaps Wednesday’s FA Cup fourth-round replay took it’s toll, with Forest needing 120 minutes plus a penalty shootout to overcome Championship side Bristol City.

Both of Forest’s two victories in 2024 have come in FA Cup replays, but they are still without a much-needed league win.

Nuno will be boosted by the imminent return of Ivory Coast trio Serge Aurier, Willy Boly and Ibrahim Sangare along with and Nigeria’s Ola Aina, who are preparing to face one another in the Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday.

Player of the match

Bruno GuimarãesBruno Guimarães

Nottingham Forest

  1. Squad number21Player nameElanga

  2. Squad number10Player nameGibbs-White

  3. Squad number7Player nameN Williams

  4. Squad number14Player nameHudson-Odoi

  5. Squad number9Player nameAwoniyi

  6. Squad number16Player nameDomínguez

  7. Squad number40Player nameMurillo

  8. Squad number19Player nameNiakhaté

  9. Squad number26Player nameSels

  10. Squad number3Player nameNuno Tavares

  11. Squad number27Player nameOrigi

  12. Squad number20Player nameReyna

  13. Squad number22Player nameYates

  14. Squad number28Player nameDanilo

Newcastle United

  1. Squad number39Player nameBruno Guimarães

  2. Squad number5Player nameSchär

  3. Squad number10Player nameGordon

  4. Squad number4Player nameBotman

  5. Squad number15Player nameBarnes

  6. Squad number2Player nameTrippier

  7. Squad number21Player nameLivramento

  8. Squad number67Player nameMiley

  9. Squad number1Player nameDúbravka

  10. Squad number17Player nameKrafth

  11. Squad number36Player nameS Longstaff

  12. Squad number9Player nameWilson

  13. Squad number24Player nameAlmirón

  14. Squad number33Player nameBurn

Line-ups

Nottm Forest

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 26Sels
  • 7N Williams
  • 19Niakhaté
  • 40Santiago Costa dos Santos
  • 3Tavares
  • 22YatesSubstituted forReynaat 73′minutes
  • 16DomínguezSubstituted forDaniloat 78′minutes
  • 21Elanga
  • 10Gibbs-WhiteBooked at 59mins
  • 14Hudson-Odoi
  • 9AwoniyiSubstituted forOrigiat 68′minutes

Substitutes

  • 1Turner
  • 8Kouyaté
  • 15Toffolo
  • 18Felipe
  • 20Reyna
  • 27Origi
  • 28Danilo
  • 32Omobamidele
  • 37Duarte Ribeiro

Newcastle

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Dúbravka
  • 2Trippier
  • 5Schär
  • 4BotmanBooked at 58mins
  • 33Burn
  • 36S Longstaff
  • 39Bruno Guimarães
  • 67MileySubstituted forLivramentoat 81′minutes
  • 24AlmirónSubstituted forBarnesat 60′minutes
  • 9WilsonBooked at 90mins
  • 10GordonSubstituted forKrafthat 90+2′minutes

Substitutes

  • 3Dummett
  • 6Lascelles
  • 11Ritchie
  • 15Barnes
  • 17Krafth
  • 18Karius
  • 20Hall
  • 21Livramento
  • 23Murphy

Referee:
Anthony Taylor

Attendance:
29,451

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