Nottingham Forest confirm survival on back of Chris Wood double

Updated: May 19, 2024, 07:16 pm

Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood scored two goals to secure a 2-1 victory at relegated Burnley as his side finished their Premier League season with a flourish at Turf Moor on Sunday.

There was an almost impossible mathematical chance Forest could have been relegated but it would have needed them to lose, Luton Town to beat Fulham and for there to be a 12-goal swing on the goal difference between the two sides.

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None of those things happened and it was a comfortable end to the campaign for Forest, despite Josh Cullen pulling a goal back for Burnley with 18 minutes remaining.

Forest, who were docked four points for breaching Profit & Sustainability Rules, finished the season one place above the drop zone in 17th with 32 points from 28 games, six clear of Luton, while Burnley came second-bottom with 24 points.

That is the lowest total of any team to survive relegation in the Premier League era, beating the 34 points West Bromwich Albion managed when they stayed up in the 2004/05 campaign.

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Forest took the lead inside two minutes with a simple goal. Anthony Elanga was in acres of space on the right and his low cross to the back post was turned home by Wood.

The ex-Burnley forward had the ball in the net a second time when he deflected Ryan Yates' shot into the goal in the 14th. It was originally given as offside, but VAR ruled he was on.

Morgan Gibbs-White then forced a superb sprawling save from Burnley's Arijanet Muric, while at the other end Wilson Odobert flashed a shot from the edge of the box just wide.

Burnley pulled a goal back after 72 minutes when Cullen's shot from 25 metres took a wicked deflection and nestled in the bottom corner of the net but, despite having 20 shots at goal in the game, the hosts could not force an equaliser.