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How do Nottingham Forest keep beating the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ with hardly any of the ball?

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How do Nottingham Forest keep beating the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ with hardly any of the ball?

Have Nottingham Forest worked out a foolproof method of beating the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’?

Tuesday’s 1-0 victory against Manchester United took them to 18 points from a possible 30 in their head-to-head encounters with the Premier League’s historical and financial giants so far this season.

Of the division’s other 14 clubs, only Brighton and Hove Albion can match Forest’s rate of success against Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur this season, and crucially, those points have put Forest into an extremely strong position in the race for Champions League qualification.

But whereas Brighton often go toe-to-toe stylistically with their more illustrious opponents, the manner in which Forest have achieved their results is even more remarkable.

 

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Nuno Espirito Santo’s side rarely dominate the ball — their 32 per cent average possession is the lowest of any team in these matches. They also create relatively little — no side has a lower average xG in fixtures against the ‘Big Six’ — and they press less intensely than any other side in the division.

So how, despite seemingly lacking the hallmarks of a successful modern side, have they done it? Let’s break it down.


Nuno celebrates with Anthony Elanga after the victory against Manchester United in midweek (Michael Steele/Getty Images)

While Forest have admittedly created little in ‘Big Six’ encounters, they have been highly effective at stifling their opponents at the other end. Among all games involving ‘Big Six’ teams this season, Forest’s fixtures have the lowest average combined xG at just 2.3. In matches like these where opportunities are at a premium, the opening goal becomes all the more decisive — and Forest have developed a knack for striking first, scoring the opener in 24 of their 30 league matches, more than any other side in 2024-25.

Their ability to restrain opposition attacks stems from a combination of a compact shape, direct approach, and the speed of their transitions. The results are a record of just one goal conceded in five home games against the ‘Big Six’ so far this season, with just Chelsea to come.

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Chance creation from fast breaks is a key feature of many ‘Big Six’ teams — five of the six rank in the top six for xG from counter-attacks (Manchester City being the exception, with their more methodical build-up). But Forest rarely overcommit in possession and therefore find themselves less exposed than most teams — shown by the fact they have conceded the second-lowest xG from fast breaks in the Premier League this season.

A big reason for that is the discipline of their midfield pivots — typically Elliot Anderson and Nicolas Dominguez — who tend to hold their positions rather than making late runs into the box. Data from Footovision shows that the average distance between Forest’s midfield and defensive lines in these games is just 11.6 metres — the lowest of any team against ‘Big Six’ opposition.

That compactness carries over to their out-of-possession structure too, except here Nuno Espirito Santo generally instructs his front four to push high, apply pressure and block passing lanes, while the midfield stays deeper to provide cover.

Below is a typical example against Manchester City, where the front four are engaged in disrupting their opponent’s build-up, yet there is a large space in behind with the midfield opting to stay back and provide additional protection. The distance between Forest’s attacking and midfield lines is the sixth-highest in the league, evidence of this defined split of roles: Forest’s attackers stay high, the rest of the team stay as compact as possible.

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When City do manage to play through the initial press, Forest retreat swiftly into a low block, leaving only talisman Chris Wood ahead of the ball.

This tight defensive shape frustrates even the best sides, and they often resort to attempting low-quality chances from distance. The graphic below shows where ‘Big Six’ teams are shooting from against Forest compared to other opponents. Shots from outside the box are more common, particularly in the left channel where the figure of 13 per cent is significantly higher than six per cent elsewhere.

Plenty of left-sided attempts were on show when Manchester United came to the City Ground this week, with Alejandro Garnacho a repeat offender.

Forest’s narrow structure often encourages switches of play, and here Dalot successfully finds Garnacho with a crossfield pass. But as the second slide shows, by the time Garnacho manoeuvres himself into a shooting position, Forest have bodies back in position cutting off shooting angles, and the Argentinian winger fires a wayward effort into the stands.

This defensive discipline isn’t just reserved for the big occasions — it’s something Forest have improved across the board. The average distance of shots faced has increased each season, and the jump this campaign is particularly notable.

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But Nottingham Forest’s impressive points haul hasn’t come solely from a disciplined defensive setup — they’ve also needed their forwards to deliver at the other end.

Before Forest’s 1-0 home win over Manchester City, Pep Guardiola described Callum Hudson-Odoi, Anthony Elanga, Wood, and Morgan Gibbs-White as “exceptional players.” That assessment proved prophetic when Hudson-Odoi netted a late winner for Forest. 


Hudson-Odoi scores against Manchester City in March 2025 (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Each of Forest’s attacking quartet brings something different to the table, but their skill sets complement each other effectively to provide a vital creative edge — particularly during attacking transitions, which have been a consistent source of goals against ‘Big Six’ opposition.

Although Forest often find themselves outnumbered when they break due to their defensive priorities, they consistently punch above their weight thanks to Elanga and Hudson-Odoi’s ball-carrying threat, Gibbs-White’s creativity, and Wood’s clinical finishing.

This counter-attacking prowess was on full display during Forest’s 1-0 win at Anfield earlier in the season — their first there since 1969. The winning goal began deep in their own half, where Forest regained possession before Gibbs-White picked out Elanga with a smart around-the-corner pass into the right channel.

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Elanga then surged forward and delivered a pinpoint cross-field ball to Hudson-Odoi on the opposite flank, who cut inside and curled a composed finish beyond Alisson.

Hudson-Odoi’s clinical strike came from a low-percentage opportunity, and it would be remiss not to acknowledge the role of fortune in Forest’s season.

They’ve scored 50 goals from an expected goals tally of just 38 — the biggest over-performance in the division. While consistently taking the lead speaks to their quality, doing so as frequently as they have also enables them to execute their game plan more effectively, maintaining that compact shape rather than being forced to chase games.

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Still, Forest have earned their share of good fortune this season. Their standout performances against the league’s most established sides have showcased the qualities that justify their lofty position in the table.

Nuno’s team may not play like a modern super club — but when facing teams that do, they’ve consistently found a way to thrive.

(Top photo: David Rogers/Getty Images)

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Canadian Pride fest president resigns after backlash for comments on transgender athletes in women’s sports

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Canadian Pride fest president resigns after backlash for comments on transgender athletes in women’s sports

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The president of a Pride fest organizing group in Canada resigned amid immense backlash for comments about transgender athletes in women’s sports. 

The Windsor-Essex Pride Fest in Ontario, Canada, announced on social media this week that President Wendi Nicholson has resigned after she commented on the recent reports that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will be banning biological males from women’s competitions. 

“Effective immediately, Wendi Nicholson has resigned as board president and is no longer affiliated with Windsor-Essex Pride Fest,” the statement said. 

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A parade attendee waves the Progress Pride flag at the Midsumma Pride March held at St Kilda, Victoria, in Australia Feb. 2, 2025. (Joshua Stanyer/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“We have closely followed the comments people have made about this situation, and while this announcement is an important first step, we agree there is much more we can do. … We realize that people are angry, and we understand why. We ask that you bear with us as we work toward bettering ourselves and uphold our values of equality, inclusion and respect.” 

Nicholson made her comments during a radio interview on AM800. 

“We have been fighting for women in sports. Now, we get people that come in and go, ‘Well, I can’t make it in this sport, so I’m going to transition and be this,’” Nicholson said.

NEW OLYMPICS CHIEF CALLS FOR ‘PROTECTING’ WOMEN’S CATEGORY AMID GLOBAL TRANS ATHLETE WAVE

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“You’ve gone through as Johnny up until you’re 17 or 18. You’re playing in elite sports now. You’re hitting that puberty. You are not as good as what you thought, but then you look and go, ‘Hey if I say my name is Sally, and I’m transgender, I can go and I can beat the crap out of the girls.”

Nicholson added that she has no problem with transgender women participating in sports “until you get to the elite divisions,” and that, as a “woman who has been pioneering for years,” she felt the matter “hits a sore spot.”

Fox News Digital has attempted to reach Nicholson on social media for comment about her recent resignation. 

The IOC’s current policy leaves it up to each individual sport’s governing body to establish policies governing transgender athletes. But as the IOC changes its leadership, its policies will change too, The Times of London reported Monday.

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The upcoming policy switch is likely to be announced at the IOC session in February before the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy and comes after a presentation from Dr. Jane Thornton, the IOC’s medical and scientific director, last week, according to The Times.

Thornton’s presentation reportedly showed there were physical advantages in males, including those who took treatments to reduce testosterone levels. A source told the paper the presentation was “very scientific” and unemotional.

“An update was given by the IOC’s director of health, medicine and science to the IOC members last week during the IOC commission meetings,” an IOC spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “The working group is continuing its discussions on this topic, and no decisions have been taken yet. Further information will be provided in due course.”

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‘Peaceful’ Kai Trump improves in second round of the LPGA Annika event

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‘Peaceful’ Kai Trump improves in second round of the LPGA Annika event

Kai Trump, a high school senior playing in an LPGA Tour event for reasons beyond her ability to hit a golf ball, went from “definitely really nervous” in the first round Thursday to “very calm and peaceful” Friday in the second.

All in all, an impressive improvement.

Still, Trump, 18, didn’t make the cut, not after finishing last among 108 players with a two-round total of 18-over par, 27 shots behind leader Grace Kim and 17 away from the projected cut line. The granddaughter of President Trump improved eight strokes to a 75 in the second round of the tournament hosted by Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla.

How dramatic was the improvement? Trump had nine bogeys, two doubles and one birdie Thursday. A day later she was briefly under par when she birdied the par-three third hole, but she bogeyed the fourth and triple-bogeyed the par-four fifth hole.

Trump rebounded to birdie three of her next six holes. How relaxed was she? She literally laughed off her triple bogey.

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“Things are going to happen,” she said. “Once it happens, you can’t go back in time and fix it. The best thing I could do is move on. Like, I told my caddie, Allan [Kournikova], kind of just started laughing, ‘it is what it is.’

“We got that out of the way, so let’s just move on. It was pretty easy to move on after that.”

Especially on the par-three 12th where she nearly made the first hole-in-one of her life.

“I hit like a tight little draw into it,” Trump said. “Tried not to get too high because of the wind. Yeah, it was a great shot.”

What would she tell her grandfather about the round? “That I hit a great shot on 12 two days in a row.”

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“I did everything I could possibly have done for this tournament, so I think if you prepare right, the nerves can … they’re always going to be there, right?,” she said. “They can be a little softened. So I would just say that.”

Critics among and beyond her nearly 9 million social media followers were relentless in noting her obvious privilege for securing a sponsor invitation. Dan Doyle Jr., owner of Pelican Golf Club, cheerfully acknowledged that Trump’s inclusion had little to do with ability and a lot to do with public relations.

“The idea of the exemption, when you go into the history of exemptions, is to bring attention to an event,” Doyle told reporters this week. “You got to see her live, she’s lovely to speak to.

“And she’s brought a lot of viewers through Instagram, and things like that, who normally don’t watch women’s golf. That was the hope. And we’re seeing that now.”

Trump attends the Benjamin School in Palm Beach and will attend the University of Miami next year. She is ranked No. 461 by the American Junior Golf Assn.

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Stepping up to the LPGA, complete with a deep gallery of onlookers and a phalanx of Secret Service agents surrounding her, could have been daunting. Trump, though, said the experience was “pretty cool.”

It was an eventful week for Trump. She played nine holes of a pro-am round Monday with tournament host Sorenstam, who empathized with the difficulty of handling an intense swirl of criticism and support.

“I just don’t know how she does it, honestly,” Sorenstam said. “To be 18 years old and hear all the comments, she must be super tough on the inside. I’m sure we can all relate what it’s like to get criticism here and there, but she gets it a thousand times.”

Sorenstam recalled her own exemption for the Bank of America Colonial in 2003 when she became the first woman to play in a men’s PGA Tour event in 58 years. She made a 14-foot putt at the 18th green to give her a 36-hole total of five-over 145. She hurled her golf ball into the grandstand, wiped away tears and was hugged by her husband, David Esch.

“That was, at the time, maybe a little bit of a controversial invite,” Sorenstam said. “In the end, I certainly appreciated it. It just brings attention to the tournament, to the sport and to women’s sports, which I think is what we want.”

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Patriots handle AFC East rival Jets at home behind TreVeyon Henderson’s 3-touchdown night

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Patriots handle AFC East rival Jets at home behind TreVeyon Henderson’s 3-touchdown night

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The New England Patriots continue to roll, handling their AFC East rival New York Jets, 27-14, on “Thursday Night Football.”

New England extended its lengthy win streak to eight games, improving to 9-2 on the season. Meanwhile, the Jets’ brief win streak, after starting the season 0-7, has come to a close.

Heading into this game, the Patriots were expected to dominate the Jets. While the scoreboard didn’t say so in the end, their rookie running back certainly provided the fireworks.

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Drake Maye of the New England Patriots looks to pass during the first half against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 13, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

TreVeyon Henderson, who had a breakout game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week with 147 rushing yards and two long touchdown runs, added three more touchdowns to his first-year stat line in this victory. 

He was the only Patriots player to find the end zone, starting with the team’s 13-play, 69-yard drive that ended with his entire offensive line pushing him over the goal line to tie the game at seven apiece.

On the Patriots’ next drive, Henderson rushed in from seven yards out to give the Patriots a 14-7 lead to end the first half.

PATRIOTS DRAW PRAISE WITH STORMY UNIFORM DEBUT AGAINST JETS

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New England started to pull away after quarterback Drake Maye, an MVP hopeful who had yet another great performance, put together chunk completions to set up an eventual touchdown pass to Henderson, who found himself wide open in the end zone.

Henderson finished the game with 62 rushing yards on 19 carries, while hauling in five catches for 31 yards.

Meanwhile, Justin Fields and the Jets’ offense struggled in yet another outing despite a great 14-play opening drive that ended with the quarterback rushing it in himself.

TreVeyon Henderson of the New England Patriots rushes for a touchdown in front of Isaiah Oliver #26 of the New York Jets during the first half against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 13, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)

Fields was coming off a rough game against the Cleveland Browns, though the Jets were able to win thanks to two special teams scores. He threw for only 54 yards with a 60.4 quarterback rating.

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Fields was 15-of-26 for 116 yards in this game with a touchdown pass on a broken play to John Metchie III that made it 21-14 in the third quarter. But there were more negative moments than positive for the Jets, including a fumble lost on a low snap in the fourth quarter while the Jets were down just a touchdown.

The Patriots were able to run the fourth-quarter clock out, and give the home crowd what they were hoping for in Mike Vrabel’s first year as a head coach — a winning season. 

There is still more work to do, but nine wins put the Patriots above .500.

TreVeyon Henderson of the New England Patriots scores a touchdown during the second quarter against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 13, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

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Looking more into the box score, Maye was an efficient 25-of-34 for 281 yards with his one touchdown pass to Henderson. Stefon Diggs also led the way with nine catches for 105 yards, a game high, while Mack Hollins and Hunter Henry both caught four passes.

For the Jets, Metchie was the leading receiver with 45 yards on three grabs, while Breece Hall had 58 rushing yards on 14 carries. Fields had 67 yards on 11 runs.

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