Nottingham Forest travelled to face Burnley in the Premier League, knowing that a positive result was required to truly kickstart Ange Postecoglou’s tenure in charge.
Postecoglou bemoaned Forest’s lack of a clinical edge as the Reds wasted chance after chance before losing 3-2 to Swansea City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, turning up the heat on Saturday’s clash at Turf Moor.
It was a perfect start, though, with Neco Williams blasting home after a minute to give the Reds the one-goal lead.
Before half-time, though, a lapse in concentration saw the ball break for Jaidon Anthony at the far post, whose shot was bundled in despite Oleksandr Zinchenko’s attempts to keep it out.
The second half was open but Forest dominated the territory, perhaps without creating the quality of chance to earn all three points.
Nottingham Forest player ratings vs Burnley
Matz Sels – 6
Difficult to judge Sels for Burnley’s equaliser as Anthony’s shot was bundled in, but he was solid otherwise in defending the home side’s efforts.
Neco Williams – 7
It’s clearly not what he’s judged on, but Williams’ quick opener was exactly what Forest needed to ease any tension.
Nikola Milenkovic – 6
The Serbian was caught napping somewhat as Burnley crossed for the equaliser, being the closest to Anthony as he found space to shoot. However, it was positive to see that he coped well again in open play when defending higher up the pitch.
Morato – 6
His struggles against Arsenal were eased when he moved into centre-back and his efforts against Burnley highlighted that Morato can deputise for Murillo when required.
Oleksandr Zinchenko – 6
Zinchenko will be disappointed that he failed to keep out Burnley’s equaliser, but the Ukrainian international was impressive in possession, finding space when tucking into midfield.
Douglas Luiz – 7
In his first two starts, Luiz has shown exactly why Forest brought him to the club. His passing was tidy and his bravery to take the ball in tight spaces will be crucial to the success of Postecoglou’s system.
Elliot Anderson – 7
Luiz and Anderson look to be a neat pairing for Postecoglou. The Englishman saw plenty of the ball and made it count, barely putting a foot wrong with his constant forward passing.
Morgan Gibbs-White – 6
A slightly better showing from Gibbs-White but he’s still not reached the heights he showed against Brentford on the opening day.
Dilane Bakwa – 5
Bakwa’s first start in the Premier League was a mixed bag. On the ball, he showed quality and almost scored in the first half, but his lack of urgency out wide didn’t help Forest build dangerous attacks.
Dan Ndoye – 4
Speaking of a lack of urgency, Ndoye really struggled to play at the pace required for Forest to make the most of his countless opportunities to probe out wide.
Chris Wood – 6
Wood will be disappointed that he didn’t find the net after Milenkovic found him in the box in the first half. Away from that moment, though, the Kiwi international showed that he remains a useful target for the Reds to build attacks from.
Substitutes
Callum Hudson-Odoi – 7
Added more urgency after replacing Bakwa, with a number of balls into the box that caused concern for the Burnley defence.
Ibrahim Sangare – 5
Solid enough from the Ivorian, but it was clear that he lacked the creative spark that Luiz brought from the start.
Arnaud Kalimuendo – 6
With Jesus through the middle, Kalimuendo operated from the right. He wasn’t involved in the buildup too much, but perhaps should’ve done better with a shooting opportunity at the far post.
Igor Jesus – 6
Jesus produced a brilliant header immediately after coming on that was saved well by Martin Dubravka, but the Brazilian struggled to influence the game following this.
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