Elliot Anderson struck late against former club Newcastle as Nottingham Forest secured a valuable point and confirmed Premier League survival.
Nottingham Forest confirmed their Premier League survival after Elliot Anderson scored a dramatic late equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United at the City Ground on Sunday. Vitor Pereira’s side looked set for defeat before the former Newcastle midfielder rescued a crucial point with two minutes remaining.
The result moved Forest seven points clear of the relegation zone with two matches left. West Ham’s defeat later in the day officially secured Forest’s top-flight status for another season, capping an impressive turnaround under Pereira.
Forest entered the contest following Thursday’s heavy Europa League defeat to Aston Villa and showed signs of fatigue early on. Newcastle controlled possession during the opening stages and created the better opportunities before the break. William Osula came closest when Matz Sels spread himself well to deny the striker from close range.
The visitors continued to probe without finding a breakthrough. Bruno Guimaraes tested Sels twice from distance, while Forest struggled to create clear openings without the injured Morgan Gibbs-White. Dilane Bakwa remained the hosts’ brightest outlet and caused problems down the left flank with several dangerous runs.
Forest nearly grabbed the lead shortly before half-time when Jair Cunha latched onto a loose ball after Nick Pope failed to claim a cross. However, the Newcastle goalkeeper recovered quickly to block Cunha’s effort from close range and keep the game level heading into the interval.
Forest improved briefly after the restart and almost capitalised on a defensive mistake from Sven Botman. Taiwo Awoniyi found himself through on goal, but Pope again reacted sharply to deny the striker with his legs. Newcastle responded strongly and began creating sustained pressure around the Forest penalty area.
Osula rattled the crossbar with a powerful free-kick after Guimaraes had already forced another smart stop from Sels. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 74th minute. Jacob Ramsey threaded a clever pass through the Forest defence, allowing substitute Harvey Barnes to race clear before calmly lifting his finish over Sels.
Newcastle looked on course for a valuable victory that would keep their slim European hopes alive. Eddie Howe’s side controlled possession well after taking the lead and limited Forest to half chances during the closing stages.
Forest refused to give up and found their equaliser in the 88th minute through Anderson. James McAtee slipped a clever short pass into the midfielder’s path before Anderson drove into the box and fired emphatically past Pope from a tight angle. The goal sparked huge celebrations around the City Ground as Forest secured the point they needed.
Forest finished with 17 shots compared to Newcastle’s 16 in an evenly contested encounter. Newcastle produced an expected goals tally of 1.55, narrowly higher than Forest’s 1.19 xG, while both goalkeepers made several important saves throughout the afternoon. The visitors also enjoyed 54 percent possession and registered six shots on target. Forest managed five efforts on target and extended their unbeaten Premier League run to eight matches.
Anderson delivered the decisive moment against the club where he began his career. The midfielder has become one of Forest’s standout performers since joining from Newcastle in 2024 and once again showed his growing importance under Pereira.
Sels also impressed with several key saves that kept Forest in the game during difficult periods. For Newcastle, Barnes made a strong impact from the bench with another clinical finish, while Ramsey’s assist highlighted his creative quality in midfield.
Nottingham Forest travel to Manchester United next Sunday before ending their season at home against Bournemouth. Newcastle host West Ham in their next fixture before travelling to Fulham on the final day.
