Key events<\/p>\n
Show key events only<\/p>\n
Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n
44 min This will make it 12 points in the last six league games for Forest, who are surely\/almost certainly staying up.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n 43 min It\u2019s still 4-0, and it\u2019s still mildly bonkers.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 39 min \u201cIt does feel like Forest are not so much inching away from relegation as they\u2019re strapped to a rocket towards safety,\u201d writes K\u00e1ri Tulinius. \u201cIn another game tonight, Stade Brestois lead RC Lens 3-0 at half time, surely ending the latter\u2019s unlikely title tilt. This is the part of the season where nearly stories sputter to a halt.\u201d<\/p>\n Oh, thanks a lot for bringing up 1991-92 again. It\u2019s too soon!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.43 EDT<\/p>\n Forest have now scored eight goals in their last 75 minutes of football. A free-kick from the right was cleared as far as Aina on the edge of the D. His snapshot hit a defender and looped across goal to Igor Jesus, who cushioned a terrific volley into the net.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Sunderland 0-4 Nottm Forest (Igor Jesus 37)<\/p>\n What the actual Forest?!<\/p>\n What is happening?!? Photograph: Owen Humphreys\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.43 EDT<\/p>\n 36 min The relegation battle now looks like a two-horse race between West Ham and Spurs.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n This is beyond Forest\u2019s wildest ones. A corner on the left was taken short and curled beyond the far post by Williams. Igor Jesus headed it down to Gibbs-White, 12 yards out, and he cracked an emphatic finish through the crowd.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Sunderland 0-3 Nottm Forest (Gibbs-White 34)<\/p>\n Gibbs-White didn\u2019t control the ball that time either. He just lashed it first time into the net!<\/p>\n Morgan Gibbs-White scores a third! Photograph: Owen Humphreys\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.39 EDT<\/p>\n 33 min Almost a third for Forest! After a quick break, Hutchinson hammered a ball across the face of goal; it then bounced awkwardly at Gibbs-White, who couldn\u2019t quite control it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Roefs tried a very risky straight pass that was partially intercepted by the stretching Wood. The ball deflected to Gibbs-White, who assessed the angles in a split-second and fired a superb pass back into Wood. He took a quick touch to control the ball and clipped it past the outrushing Roefs. It\u2019s his first Premier League<\/a> goal since August.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Sunderland 0-2 Nottm Forest (Wood 31)<\/p>\n Chris Wood gobbles up a gift from Robin Roefs to double Forest\u2019s lead!<\/p>\n Chris Wood doubles the lead for Forest. Photograph: Owen Humphreys\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.35 EDT<\/p>\n 28 min Gibbs-White\u2019s long-range shot is headed away by Ballard, but Forest regain possession and Hutchinson wins a corner. They\u2019re playing some excellent football.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 26 min Le Fee\u2019s free-kick hits the top of the ball. Sunderland<\/a> keep it alive until Alderete heads over from 14 yards. Good luck with that.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 25 min Lovely feet from Le Fee, who draws a foul from Milenkovic just outside the area. The free-kick is to the right of centre, with Xhaka and Le Fee are over the ball\u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.26 EDT<\/p>\n 24 min A heavy touch from Williams jiggers another promising Forest move. They\u2019re having an excellent spell.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 23 min As it stands, Forest are (almost certainly) staying up.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.25 EDT<\/p>\n 22 min Wood, released by an excellent pass from Anderson, runs at a static Sunderland<\/a> defence and forces a left-foot shot from the edge of the area that is pushed away by Roefs. The shot was too close to him.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.23 EDT<\/p>\n 19 min At the other end, Sadiki makes room for a shot that is well blocked.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Igor Jesus wheeled away in celebration but replays show it was an own goal from Trai Hume. Omari Hutchinson took a short corner on the right, got it back and curled a booming cross beyond the far post. Igor Jesus met it near the byline with a header across goal that hit the back of Trai Hume\u2019s head and flew into the net. Roefs had no chance.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.21 EDT<\/p>\n GOAL! Sunderland 0-1 Nottm Forest (Hume og 17)<\/p>\n Forest take the lead!<\/p>\n The ever-prolific Own Goal puts Forest in front. Photograph: Greig Cowie\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.32 EDT<\/p>\n 15 min What a run from Dan Ballard! He was starting to make his way back following a Sunderland<\/a> corner when he spotted the chance to muscle Anderson off the ball 25 yards from goal. Then he slipped past Aina in the area, resisted Aina\u2019s recovery tackle and screwed a low ball that ran right across the face of goal. All hail Dan Beckenballard.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 13 min: Good save by Roefs! Alderete plays a poor pass out of defence that goes straight to Igor Jesus. He finds Hutchinson, whose whipped shot from the edge of the area is pushed away by the diving Roefs. It\u2019s a good save but Hutchinson\u2019s shot wasn\u2019t right in the corner.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 11 min Anderson\u2019s dangerous cross is shanked behind for a corner by Hume. Nowt comes of it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 10 min Sadiki has had his hand bandaged and is back on the field.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.10 EDT<\/p>\n 9 min Sadiki has gone to the touchline for more treatment to his hand.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 8 min: Chance for Rigg! Le Fee takes advantage of a ricochet to collect a loose ball and put Rigg through on goal to his right. He opens his body but sidefoots straight at Selz from 15 yards.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 6 min Both sides have started pretty well, with the game being played at a nice pace.<\/p>\n At least it was being played a nice pace: there is currently a short break in play while Sadiki receives treatment. Sangare accidentally stood on his hand.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 3 min A regrettable square pass from Sadiki, deep in his own half, is nicked by Hutchinson. Alderete makes an immportant challenge on the edge of the area and Anderson\u2019s long-range shot deflects over the bar for a corner.<\/p>\n The corner is half cleared to Williams, who mishits a difficult volley well wide.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 1 min Forest kick off from left to right as we watch. You can\u2019t beat an evening match starting in daylight.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n As usual, there\u2019s a cracking atmosphere at the Stadium of Light. The players are ready for action. Shall we?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Regis Le Bris talks to Sky Sports<\/p>\n double quotation mark[On the 4-3 defeat at Villa] We tried to impose our ideas at Villa \u2013 it wasn\u2019t easy because they have many good players \u2013 but we tried. It was a tight game and we had the opportunity to win it.<\/p>\n [On Sunderland\u2019s European hopes] The most important thing is to win games. The first step is to be strong at home. The middle of the table is tight; if you don\u2019t win, you can\u2019t expect anything.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Vitor Pereira talks to Sky Sports<\/p>\n double quotation mark[On Forest\u2019s excellent form] I think we\u2019ve been more consistent mentally and tactically. We\u2019ve had more time to work so the players know what we want better than before.<\/p>\n [On picking Igor Jesus and Chris Wood together] We need to score goals. They are two players who work a lot defensively, which means I can play both of them.<\/p>\n Sunderland are a strong team, especially at home \u2013 very competitive with quality. We need to treat this like a Champions League game.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWhile no one expected Forest to maintain last season\u2019s performance level, it was inconceivable that they would be flirting with relegation by May,\u201d writes Krishnamoothy V. \u201cDid Forest lose it when they parted with Nuno?\u201d<\/p>\n I think they parted with Nuno because they\u2019d lost it. But I really like Vitor Pereira and Forest have looked a top-half side since he took over.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The return fixture at the City Ground helped set the tone for both teams\u2019 seasons.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Read Louise Taylor\u2019s preview<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Team news<\/p>\n Sunderland make two changes, both in defence, to the side that lost 4-3 at Villa Park. Dan Ballard and Trai Hume replace Luke O\u2019Nien and Reinildo.<\/p>\n Forest bring in Jair Cunha and Igor Jesus for Murillo, who has a muscle injury, and Dilane Bakwa. Igor Jesus came off the bench at half-time last weekend, with Forest losing at home to Burnley, and scored the final goal in their 4-1 win. The man who scored the first three, Morgan Gibbs-White, will roam from the left.<\/p>\n Sunderland (4-2-3-1) Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Hume; Xhaka, Sadiki; Rigg, Diarra, Le Fee; Brobbey.<\/p>\n Subs: Ellborg, Cirkin, Reinildo, Geertruida, O\u2019Nien, Talbi, Mayenda, Isidor, H Jones.<\/p>\n Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1) Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Jair Cunha, Williams; Sangare, Anderson; Hutchinson, Igor Jesus, Gibbs-White; Wood.<\/p>\n Subs: Ortega, Morata, Awoniyi, Ndoye, Dominguez, Yates, McAtee, Netz, Bakwa.<\/p>\n Referee Darren England.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.59 EDT<\/p>\n Preamble<\/p>\n Friday night, who wants a fight? Not this peaceable Guardianista, that\u2019s for sure, and not Nottingham Forest<\/a>. They\u2019re trying to escape a relegation fight \u2013 and can go a long way towards achieving that if they win at Sunderland tonight.<\/p>\n Forest are 16th in the table, five points clear of Tottenham with five games remaining. This time last year they were fourth, but although the change in Forest\u2019s league position has made things a lot more complicated, their objective is essentially the same: to play Champions League and Premier League<\/a> football next season.<\/p>\n Forest play both legs of their humdinging Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa in the next fortnight. A positive result at the Stadium of Light would allow them to embrace that without worrying about what\u2019s over their shoulder.<\/p>\n At the start of the season, most people agreed that Forest\u2019s opponents were never going to be in a relegation battle come late April. That\u2019s because Sunderland<\/a> were supposed to be long gone by now, with only their parachute for company,. An occasionally flat second half of the season should not obscure a remarkable first season back in the Premier League, one of the best by a promoted team in the past decade.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not over yet. Sunderland start the game in 11th but will move up to eighth \u2013 above Chelsea, the world club champions \u2013 if they win tonight. Who knows, this time next year they might be in a European semi-final themselves.<\/p>\n Kick off 8pm BST.<\/p>\n