Nuno in shock as reporter tells him something he never knew about Anthony Elanga after Nottingham Forest win
03/15/2025 03:34 PM
Nottingham Forest were electric in the first half against Ipswich Town, with Anthony Elanga at the heart of all things good for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
The Swedish international had history with Saturday’s opponents, as Elanga created a crossing record against Ipswich in the FA Cup at the start of March.
It was all about his goal-scoring in the Premier League at Portman Road, though, as Elanga scored a five-minute brace to give the Forest squad a 3-0 lead at half time in what had been a game with few chances before this.
Elanga professed his love for Forest amid speculation over his future with Newcastle interested in Elanga for a number of windows now, but the ex-Manchester United man has built a strong relationship with the City Ground faithful ahead of next season’s probable European tour.
His displays on the pitch are at a level with this love, too, making Elanga one of the most popular players in the Forest fanbase and one of the first names on Espirito Santo’s team sheet.
You’d think the Forest manager would know everything about his Swedish star at this point, but one stat that emerged from the Ipswich win left Espirito Santo at a loss for words.
Anthony Elanga scored a career-first Premier League brace against Ipswich
Elanga has been Espirito Santo’s key creative force this season, registering nine assists in all competitions with the likes of Chris Wood a grateful recipient.
Elanga assisted three goals for Wood against Brighton, but it was the 22-year-old’s turn to take the plaudits on Saturday, scoring twice whilst Wood performed his role as target man admirably.
Remarkably, though, this was Elanga’s first-ever Premier League brace, something that amazed Espirito Santo when he was told the stat by BBC Sport.
Espirito Santo said: “The first time? He [Elanga] has to do it again. He was huge for us today. Not only the goals he got but also his defensive tasks. He was always in the game.”
Rio Ferdinand once had doubts about Elanga’s defending whilst he was still at United, so the comment about his defensive work will please Elanga. It’s his attacking work that’s pleasing the Forest fans, though, with his performance against Ipswich putting the Swede on course for a career-best campaign.
Anthony Elanga’s goals vs Ipswich Town saw him match his career-best season
Espirito Santo has demanded more from Elanga this season, and the winger has risen to the challenge with the stats to back it up.
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 2021-22 (Manchester United) | 27 | 3 | 2 |
| 2022-23 (Manchester United) | 26 | 0 | 2 |
| 2023-24 (Nottingham Forest) | 39 | 5 | 9 |
| 2024-25 so far (Nottingham Forest) | 32 | 5 | 9 |
There has been an undeniable improvement in Elanga’s statistics since his move to Forest, with just his first season at the club enough to eclipse his goalscoring numbers at the Red Devils.
Adding assists to the mix only strengthens Elanga’s numbers, taking the Swedish winger to double figures for both goals and assists in his Forest career.
United fans were in meltdown watching Elanga against Brighton, which perhaps showed a level of regret from his former employers, who aren’t exactly blessed with attacking options at the moment.
Consistent goals will be the next challenge for Elanga, but the Forest coaching staff have worked wonders on the 22-year-old, with more work hopefully delivering even more goal-scoring afternoons for the Swede.
