TNT Sports pundit Martin Keown praised Taiwo Awoniyi after Nottingham Forest lost 2-1 to Arsenal at the City Ground last night.
The pundit was covering the game for TNT Sports and made the claim after the striker had scored for Forest.
So, what has Keown had to say about Forest star Awoniyi? Let’s take a closer look…
What Martin Keown has said about Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi
Well, it would appear that although there wasn’t much to shout about from a Forest perspective, Awoniyi returning did at least provide one positive.
The Nigerian stepped off the bench at half-time to make his first appearance since November, bagging his fifth goal of the season in stoppage time.
Keown was impressed with the striker and he felt that the 26-year-old was one shining light on an otherwise drab night.
He told TNT Sports: “What was interesting was the way he used his body. Saliba just gets bumped off the ball. It’s good play. He just hits him. He can’t stop scoring against Arsenal. It’s good news for Forest that Awoniyi is back in contention and able to play. Saliba is just a little bit naive but he’s learning his trade and that’s the nature of the Premier League.”
Awoniyi now integral to the fortunes of the Reds
There were some other positives to take from last night’s performance but Awoniyi being back was the main takeaway from a Forest perspective.
Awoniyi has been out for three months and it was great to see him back on the pitch for the second 45 as Forest were beaten.
Now, the striker is going to be desperately important for Forest and Nuno Espirito Santo will be keen to keep him fit and firing.
Awoniyi took his goal really well but it was just a shame that Forest couldn’t get him in these situations more often.
The challenge now is for Espirito Santo to keep Awoniyi fit and get him firing on all cylinders for the remainder of the season.
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