Nottingham Forest beat Crystal Palace 1-0 on Monday night to continue an impressive start to the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.
Chris Wood scored the only goal of the game to take his tally for the season to five goals from eight appearances.
Ally McCoist hailed Forest star Wood afterwards and the talisman is really producing the goods again for Nuno Espirito Santo.
The Forest head coach watched on from the Director’s Box for this one as Espirito Santo started a three-match touchline ban for his conduct in a 2-2 draw with Brighton.
There were some really good performances for Forest against Palace. Elliot Anderson caught the eye of Adrian Durham on TalkSPORT but Espirito Santo has a squad brimming with quality now.
Forest once again utilised the bench on Monday night and it allowed the team to stand firm and claim a big three points in the Premier League.
Alan Smith says Nottingham Forest have a player who is like Jack Grealish
Jota Silva has taken to life in England really well and he’s already becoming a bit of a cult hero on Trentside among the fan base.
The 25-year-old signed from Vitoria in the summer for just £6 million and he bagged his first goal in England against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup.
Silva is yet to start a Premier League game but he’s certainly knocking on the door of Espirito Santo who has a decision to make on Friday night.
Smith thinks it’s not just his looks – and striking hairstyle – that make him similar to Jack Grealish, with his game very similar it would seem in his eyes.
The Sky Sports pundit said live on commentary: “I saw him make his debut in the Carabao Cup earlier this season.
“A bit of Jack Grealish about him, and it’s not just the headband. He’s a really busy player, loves to take players on.”
Silva pushing for Forest star and gives Espirito Santo big conundrum
It’s early days for Silva at Forest but he’s already showcased huge versatility during his time at the City Ground.
On Monday, he was introduced in place of Anthony Elanga and operated down the right-hand side of the attack for Forest.
He can also play on the left or through the middle as a number 10 and his style of play is very much energetic and all-action.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 6 |  ChelseaChelsea | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 14 |
| 7 |  TottenhamTottenham | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 13 |
| 8 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 13 |
| 9 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 12 |
| 10 |  FulhamFulham | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Silva perhaps doesn’t quite have the guile to glide past players that the £100 million Grealish has just yet but that should come with more minutes in the Premier League.
With Anthony Elanga struggling for consistency and any real form this season, Silva is surely pushing for a start under Espirito Santo now.
What does feel interesting is how he will perform when the time does come for him to play from the off.
As an impact substitute it’s very easy to come on and put yourself about but whether or not he can buzz around in that fashion for 90 minutes remains to be seen.
Hopefully, it’s not too long before Forest fans get to find out…
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