Nottingham Forest secured a crucial 4-2 victory over Ipswich Town at Portman Road, moving to within one point of second-placed Arsenal in the Premier League table. Anthony Elanga was the hero for Forest, scoring a brilliant brace to lead his side to victory.
After a quiet opening half-hour, Forest exploded into life with three goals in six minutes. Nikola Milenkovic opened the scoring with a powerful volley following a corner delivery from Callum Hudson-Odoi. Just two minutes later, Elanga doubled the lead with a curling strike into the bottom corner after being set up by Elliot Anderson.
The Swedish forward wasn’t done yet, as he added his second of the game just before halftime. A long ball from Milenkovic caused confusion in the Ipswich defense, allowing Elanga to control the ball and calmly slot it past goalkeeper Alex Palmer to make it 3-0.
Ipswich showed signs of a comeback in the second half, with Jens Cajuste scoring a stunning goal in the 82nd minute. The midfielder turned brilliantly on the edge of the box before curling his effort into the top corner, giving the hosts a glimmer of hope.
However, Forest responded immediately with a devastating counter-attack. Morgan Gibbs-White played through substitute Jota Silva, who coolly finished past Palmer to restore Forest’s three-goal advantage. Ipswich managed a late consolation goal through George Hirst’s header in stoppage time, but the damage had already been done.
Nikola Milenkovic played a key role in both attack and defense, scoring the opening goal and providing an assist for Elanga’s second. Meanwhile, Elanga’s pace and finishing ability proved too much for the Ipswich defense, as the winger netted his first brace for the club.
Despite having more possession (56%), Ipswich struggled to create clear chances, with Forest’s defense led by Milenkovic and Moussa Niakhaté standing firm. The visitors’ clinical finishing made the difference, with six shots on target compared to Ipswich’s four.
The victory ended Forest’s three-game losing streak away from home and boosted their hopes of securing a Champions League spot. Meanwhile, Ipswich remain nine points adrift of safety and will be desperate for their first league win of 2025 when they face Bournemouth after the international break.
