£12m Nottingham Forest star was simply unplayable vs Ipswich, he upstaged Anthony Elanga - opinion
03/16/2025 03:30 PM
Nottingham Forest thrashed Ipswich at Portman Road on Saturday to stick daylight between them and the teams chasing a Champions League spot.
The Reds scored three times in six devastating first half minutes. Anthony Elanga scored twice in the 4-2 win, with Nikola Milenkovic and Jota Silva also getting in on the act.
Forest had to be at their clinical best to find a way through. Once the first goal had gone in, however, Ipswich folded like a cheap deck chair and their strikes were nothing more than scant consolation.
There were a number of top performers in the Forest team against Ipswich. It was a real team performance from start to finish and Nuno Espirito Santo will be delighted with what he saw from his players.
Nikola Milenkovic stars vs Ipswich
It’s always nice when the goals are shared around and that’s what Forest are doing at the moment, with Chris Wood not getting himself among the goals for a few weeks.
Still, good teams have goals all over the pitch and in Anthony Elanga, the Reds have a winger in fine form whilst Milenkovic chipping in with goals is also extremely useful.
The centre-back was absolutely outstanding yesterday against Ipswich and it remains a complete mystery how Forest managed to get him for just £12 million.
Milenkovic is a silent leader in some ways. He’s very rarely called upon to officially captain the team but his solid mentality suggests he’s clearly an influence on the team.
The 27-year-old oozes class and his finish during the game against Ipswich wasn’t a goal that would typically be associated with a central defender.
Nikola Milenkovic stats vs Ipswich
Milenkovic has been a great pick up for Espirito Santo. He’s adapted brilliantly to the Premier League and it’s easy to see why Fiorentina reached two European finals with him playing in defence.
The Serbian will now go off on international duty where he will captain a team, with the Forest defender very much the player called upon to lead by example for his country.
| Nikola Milenkovic stats vs Ipswich | Total |
| Minutes | 90 |
| Tackles | 4 |
| Clearances | 9 |
| Who Scored Rating | 8.60 |
Forest will hope that Milenkovic comes back unscathed from international duty. The Reds have showcased this season that when the Serb doesn’t play, things have the potential to go awry for the team defensively.
The Reds hit the jackpot when Milenkovic was signed and the challenge from a recruitment standpoint is to ensure more of the same next season.
