Figure caption,

Forest thrash Sunderland to boost survival hopes

At a glance

  • Nottingham Forest go eight points clear of the drop with a stunning win kick-started by a Trai Hume own goal

  • Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus then add three quick goals in six first-half minutes

  • Elliot Anderson scores Forest's fifth in second-half injury time

  • Forest move to 39 points. No Premier League team has been relegated with 39 points or more since 2011

  • PLAYER RATER

ByJoe Rindl
BBC Sport journalist

Nottingham Forest took a huge step towards Premier League survival with a big win at Sunderland to go eight points clear of the bottom three.

The visitors opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Igor Jesus' back-post header deflected in off Sunderland defender Trai Hume.

They doubled their lead in the 31st minute after Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs' pass was intercepted and Chris Wood was able to finish.

Three minutes later Morgan Gibbs-White powerfully found the bottom corner after being teed up by Igor Jesus' header.

In the 37th minute the Brazil striker smashed a loose ball into the net following a corner.

And Forest netted a fifth in second-half stoppage time through Elliot Anderson's low strike on the counter-attack.

The win took relegation-threatened Forest to 39 points, eight clear of 18th-placed Tottenham and six clear of 17th-placed West Ham.

Only six teams have ever been relegated from the Premier League with 39 points in the 38-game era, and none since 2011.

Sunderland's Dan Ballard thought he had pulled a goal back on the hour mark but the referee ruled it out for a foul by Nordi Mukiele on Forest keeper Matz Sels after being asked to check the pitchside monitor by the video assistant referee (VAR).

Nottm Forest analysis: Are Forest as good as safe?

Figure caption,

'It isn't enough' - Pereira insists still work to be done following Sunderland rout

The win was Forest's biggest win of the season and backed up their 4-1 victory over Burnley last weekend.

Vitor Pereira's side are on a fantastic run at just the right time. They are unbeaten in six league games (three wins and three draws) and have a Europa League semi-final with Aston Villa on the horizon.

They stunned a Sunderland side who have the eighth-best home record this season.

The mood in the East Midlands is significantly more optimistic now than it was on 15 March - when Forest were last dragged into the relegation zone following a West Ham draw against Manchester City.

Pereira's team have since collected 10 points from a possible 12, a run which started with their crucial 3-0 win at relegation rivals Tottenham, and has lifted the club away from danger.

Individually, Gibbs-White continued his fine form. The England midfielder scored his seventh goal in as many games and also assisted Wood's strike with a clinical pass.

Wood, who has spent most of his season sidelined by a knee injury, scored his first Forest goal since netting two on the opening day of the season.

Sunderland analysis: Leaky defence becoming a concern

Figure caption,

Le Bris describes Forest battering as 'painful'

Sunderland could have moved into the top eight with a win, potentially further boosting their hopes of European football next season.

But Regis le Bris' side were shocked by Forest, conceding three goals in six first-half minutes and were never able to get back into the game.

Friday's result was just the third time Sunderland have lost a league game on home soil by five or more goals - and the first since a 6-1 loss to Birmingham City in April 1958.

And worryingly for Sunderland, only Burnley (31) and Tottenham Hotspur (30) have conceded more goals than them (27) in the Premier League in 2026.

Before the new year only Arsenal (12) and Manchester City (17) had let in fewer than them in the top flight (18).

What's next for these teams?

Nottingham Forest are at home to Aston Villa in their Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday (20:00 BST) and then travel to Chelsea in the Premier League on Monday, 4 May (15:00).

Sunderland are away to relegated Wolves in their next match on Saturday, 2 May.

Player of the match

Number: 10 M. Gibbs-White
Average rating 8.72
Number: 34 G. Xhaka
Average Rating: 3.83
Number: 5 D. Ballard
Average Rating: 3.81
Number: 28 E. Le Fée
Average Rating: 3.66
Number: 18 W. Isidor
Average Rating: 3.59
Number: 9 B. Brobbey
Average Rating: 3.37
Number: 17 Reinildo Mandava
Average Rating: 3.35
Number: 20 N. Mukiele
Average Rating: 3.34
Number: 15 O. Alderete
Average Rating: 3.34
Number: 11 C. Rigg
Average Rating: 3.31
Number: 27 N. Sadiki
Average Rating: 3.27
Number: 22 R. Roefs
Average Rating: 3.26
Number: 32 T. Hume
Average Rating: 3.26
Number: 19 H. Diarra
Average Rating: 3.16

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.

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