Nottingham Forest faced Brighton in the FA Cup today and it was always going to be a big afternoon for Taiwo Awoniyi.
With Chris Wood injured on international duty playing for New Zealand, he’s currently out of action with a hip problem.
That saw Awoniyi thrust into the action from the start against Brighton, as he has been in all three of Forest’s matches in this competition all season.
Awoniyi has done the business on the goalscoring front, keeping the Reds in the Premier League with his goals in the 2022/23 campaign.
With Forest on the cusp of Champions League football, however, the stakes are higher now and the Reds needed a big showing from the Nigerian today.
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Nottingham Forest fans in agreement about Taiwo Awoniyi vs Brighton
The Reds fans were impressed with Awoniyi’s showing, with the player thrown into the deep end after Chris Wood got injured on international duty.
Another fan wrote: “He’s been superb today.”
Taiwo Awoniyi shows promise for Nottingham Forest vs Brighton
This was always going to be a bit of an acid test for Awoniyi playing against a Premier League side away from home.
The Reds have been reliant on their pacey front four away from home and although Wood perhaps doesn’t have that blistering pace, he gets in the right place at the right time.
Awoniyi was at it from the off, and his performance was one to be proud of, as he’s not been playing against opposition of this nature this season.
The 27-year-old has proved worth his weight in gold since checking in at Forest and his goals have helped the Reds remain a Premier League outfit.
Against Brighton he had just 18 touches, won three duels, made one clearance and one tackle, which doesn’t tell the whole story.
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