BT Sport pundit Adam Virgo has heaped huge praise on Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi after last night’s win over Brighton.
The Reds won the City Ground contest 3-1 with a Pascal Gross own goal and strikes from Danilo and Morgan Gibbs-White sealing the deal.
Forest got themselves a massive stroke of luck just before the half-time interval.
Some fine build-up play saw the ball worked to Renan Lodi. He drilled the ball across the goal, with Gross diverting it into his own net.
It was the physical strength of Awoniyi that saw Lodi end up in possession of the ball.
The uncompromising striker is an acquired taste for some supporters but it’s hard to know his hold-up play.
Virgo was co-commentating for BT Sport and he was extremely impressed with the player.
He said live on air shortly after the goal: “They’ve had to work hard for this. You don’t care how it goes in. What I would say, is Taiwo Awoniyi does so well. He holds that ball up and tees up Renan Lodi brilliantly.”
Awoniyi signed for Forest for £18 million in the summer. He left Union Berlin after scoring 18 goals for them in all competitions last season.
He’s only managed five for the Reds, but it’s fair to say he’s got some other qualities.
Virgo gives praise to Awoniyi for the equalising goal
The Reds striker is a strange player. However, he has some serious physical strength and that’s definitely his main attribute.
His quality was there for all to see for the own goal. Other players might have been muscled out of possession but not Awoniyi.
Forest have to win more games now. They can’t rest on this win even though it is refreshing to finally claim all three points from a match.
Awoniyi will have a big say in whether or not Forest stay in the Premier League.
He might score loads of goals but as proven last night against a good side, his physical attributes are unrivalled in the Forest squad.
Receive a digest of our best Nottingham Forest content each week direct to your mailbox
