FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Nottingham Forest - The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain - September 22, 2024 Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo reacts REUTERS/Dylan Martinez/File Photo
(Reuters) - Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo is not looking at the Premier League table but thinking only of the next game following his side’s comprehensive 3-1 East Midlands derby win over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Friday.
The victory takes Forest up to fifth in the league, but that matters little to the manager, who expects further improvement from side in the coming months to fully realise what he believes is their true potential.
"We played a good game, very stable, confident and solid. Our organisation was good, I am delighted," he told Sky Sports.
"It is not about the table, what is more important is to see our fans celebrate like they did today. What is important is how we do things, how we continue to progress.
"It is the commitment, we as a group want to progress, become better and play good football. They (the players) have the ability, we need to make them stronger so we can build on it."
Striker Chris Wood scored a brace to take his tally this season to seven, behind only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (10 goals) in the golden boot race.
"He has done an amazing job," Espirito Santo said. "It is not just the goals, it is the hard work on the pitch, the voice in the dressing room. We are delighted with him, he deserves this moment."
Forest are next in action on Nov. 2 when they welcome West Ham United to the City Ground.
(Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
