EPL results: Chris Wood scores 12th goal of season as Nottingham Forest ease past Wolverhampton Wanderers

All Whites captain Chris Wood scored his 12th goal of the English Premier League season in Nottingham Forest’s 3-0 win over struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The result sees Forest’s high-flying run toward a European spot continue, they sit third on the EPL ladder behind leaders Liverpool and equal with second placed Arsenal while Wolves are on the edge of relegation in 17th.

Molineux Stadium was silenced in the seventh minute as former Wolves midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White gave the visitors a 1-0 lead before Wood doubled Forest’s advantage just before half time, all but sealing Wolves’ fate and seeing their horror home run extend.

Wood’s cool left-footed finish from just outside the six yard box after a devastating Forest counter-attack won’t win him a Puskas award but was enough to give his side the breathing room they were after and was another example of the New Zealand skipper’s trademark ability to be in the right place at the right time.

Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood celebrates scoring their side's second goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Photo / Getty Images

Forest then capped off their victory with another classy breakaway goal to Taiwo Awoniyi after a slick pass from Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Speaking after the match, Wood said he and Forest are not looking too far ahead despite their lofty ladder position.

“We just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing for the past 19 games, that’s what we need to do here.

He said manager Nuno Espírito Santo’s belief in him and his team was a massive part of their results this season.

“It’s all of that, confidence, belief, responsibility and a team that works to all our strengths.”

Forest have now won their last six straight EPL matches for the first time since the 1966/67 season and are only second to the Gunners via goal difference. That goal difference may become significant in the latter stages of the season as Santo’s charges chase European football with 11 goals separating Forest and Arsenal with Chelsea, Newcastle and Manchester City all within six points of the top four.

Other EPL results from the weekend:

Aston Villa 2 (Barkley 58, Bailey 76) Leicester 1 (Mavididi 63)

Brighton 1 (Joao Pedro 61-pen) Arsenal 1 (Nwaneri 16)

Bournemouth 1 (Brooks 77) Everton 0

Crystal Palace 1 (Mateta 82) Chelsea 1 (Palmer 14)

Manchester City 4 (Coufal 10-og, Haaland 42, 55, Foden 58) West Ham 1 (Fullkrug 71)

Southampton 0 Brentford 5 (Schade 6, Mbeumo 62, 69-pen, Lewis-Potter 90+2, Wissa 90+4)

Tottenham 1 (Solanke 4) Newcastle 2 (Gordon 6, Isak 38)

Fulham 2 (Jimenez 69-pen, 90+1-pen) Ipswich 2 (Szmodics 38, Delap 71-pen)

Liverpool 2 (Gakpo 59, Salah 70-pen) Manchester United 2 (Martinez 52, Diallo 80)

- with AFP