Elliott Anderson scored a late equalizer against his former club Newcastle, guiding Nottingham Forest to a 1-1 draw at home and ensuring Premier League safety.
West Ham’s 1-0 defeat at Arsenal late on Sunday ensured Forest will be playing top-flight football next season, with Vitor Pereira’s side seven points behind the 18th-placed Hammers with two games in hand.
Forest’s hero on Sunday, Anderson, joined Forest in a £35m deal, meaning he would have to leave his boyhood club Newcastle in the summer of 2024 at the request of the PSR.
The midfielder has flourished at the City Ground, with Manchester City taking pole position and signing the 23-year-old this summer, making him a regular for England. And on Sunday, he showed off the talent Newcastle have let go of, with a stunning 88th-minute equaliser.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Elliott Anderson scored a great tying goal late on.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Harvey Barnes made his breakthrough
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said in his post-match press conference that Anderson’s transfer was “the most reluctant transfer I’ve ever made” and that the equalizer “really hurt”.
Meanwhile, following the recent death of his mother Helen, whose funeral was held on Friday, Pereira said Anderson “deserves to be on top of the world”.
After suffering a crushing 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa in the Europa League semi-final second leg on Thursday, substitute Harvey Barnes’ second-half opener sent Forest on course for consecutive defeats.
However, the hosts bounced back with a late equaliser, extending their unbeaten run in the Premier League to eight games and ending Newcastle’s faint hopes of qualifying for Europe.
“He’s definitely going to leave” – Gordon leaves the Thun bench again
Anthony Gordon was an unused substitute at the City Ground
Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon was substituted for the second game in a row.
Sky Sports News reported earlier this week that Bayern Munich had begun talks with Newcastle over a potential summer contract for the England international.
Asked why Gordon was left on the bench, Thun manager Howe said in his post-match press conference: “Obviously he’s coming back from injury.
“I’ve been watching the team and I’m happy with the team’s performance in the last three games, so there was no need to make any changes.”
However, former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara believes Gordon’s inclusion on the bench signals a summer exit from St James’ Park.
“If Howe doesn’t play him, he’s going to leave,” O’Hara told Sky Sports News.
“I like Gordon, he’s a player they need, but for some reason it didn’t go as planned.
“If Howe isn’t playing him at this stage of the season, that suggests he intends to fire him.”
Newcastle sit 13th in the Premier League, two points behind rivals Sunderland.
O’Hara added: “They’re not good enough. Eddie Howe needs to look at this team. Has this team reached its limit?”
“Are the players responding to him? They came forward but were really poor after that.
“The players haven’t performed well. Wissa were not good again and Woltemaid couldn’t do anything special.”
Howe: knew moving Anderson would be ‘extremely painful’
Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson scores the equaliser.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe spoke about the release of Elliott Anderson to Forest in his post-match press conference.
“That was something we regretted when we were doing it. We knew it was going to be a very painful move and we had to make it.
“It was probably the most passive transfer I’ve ever made because I didn’t have a choice but I knew the quality of the players.
“We’ve seen him up close training with us over the years. He was starting to integrate into the team and was working really effectively in different positions for me at the tail end of that season.”
“It really hurts to see him do that to us today. He’s going to have a great career wherever he goes, wherever his career takes him.
“It’s unfortunate for us because he’s also a great player, but he’s a great player.”
Pereira says ‘can’t say’ if Anderson will stay at Forest
Nottingham Forest manager Vitor Pereira said this about Elliott Anderson in the post-match press conference.
“It’s hard for me and for everyone to understand what he’s feeling inside.
“I believe he is honoring his mother by entering the field and running until the last meter, until his last breath.
“I can’t say[if he will stay]. I don’t have an answer. I know he deserves to be on top of the world.
“We know he is our player and we have to enjoy him because he has worked with players of the highest caliber, but it is not easy to find a top player with this character.
“I’m not thinking about next season. I’m thinking about finishing this season in the best position possible.”
“During warm-ups, my assistants told me, ‘Elliott is on fire today.’ Every time he took a shot on goal, he scored.
“He had his mother’s funeral two days ago and I haven’t talked to him, but I think he has a goal and wants to honor his mother.
“I think that’s why he worked until the last moment to score a goal. That’s why he found a way to get on the pitch and play to the best of his ability.”
Opta facts: Newcastle slip away from the lead again.
Newcastle have dropped more points from the table this season than any other team in the Premier League (27). The only time the Magpies dropped more points in this competition was in 2004/05 (31). Nottingham Forest are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games (W4 D4), enjoying a long run of unbeaten seasons with Tricky Trees last in the competition from February to November 1995 (25). Newcastle have yet to win 14 games away from home in the Premier League The Magpies were unable to win a road competition in 2018/19 (15 games).
