Chris Wood scored a hat-trick as Nottingham Forest beat his former club Newcastle by six points.

Chris Wood scored a hat-trick as Nottingham Forest beat his former club Newcastle by six points.

Newcastle United 1-3 Nottingham Forest: Former Newcastle striker Chris Wood scored a hat-trick against Nottingham Forest to give Nuno their first win.

Newcastle were punished by Nottingham Forest after failing to capitalize on an early lead, with former Magpies star Chris Wood notching his first hat-trick in a come-from-behind win for the visitors.
In the 23rd minute of the first half, Aleksandr Isaac opened the scoring coming from the penalty area, receiving a shot from Aina and giving away a free kick. But Forest didn’t lie in first-half added time and equalized when Wood hit back against his former club.
Eddie Howe’s hosts failed to swing in the second half, allowing the visitors to strike through Wood again. The game ended when the well-traveled striker added a third for himself and Forest.
The win was Nuno Espirito Santo’s first as Forest boss and eased his relegation woes. And Newcastle are keen to put a painful December behind them.

Newcastle’s sloppy defending gave Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White the first real chance of the game, the player firing a warning shot wide of Martin Dubravka’s right-hand post. But it was the hosts who took charge on the pitch as visiting winger Anthony Elanga wasted an opportunity to bring on former Newcastle striker Chris Wood.
Elanga failed to make the same mistake later in the first half, leaving Wood unmarked and the New Zealander on the run after the break. The visitors battled a quick Elanga counter-attack in the forward’s second position and Wood beat Martin Dubravka for offside to score the third.
Newcastle tried to find their way back but Forest held on. Here’s what Mirror Football has to say after the shock result on Tyneside:
1. Trees haunt old employers

Chris Wood was one of Eddie Howe’s first signings at Newcastle, but the club quickly outgrew the New Zealand international. Wood was mainly used as a substitute in the first half of last season and was loaned out to Forest in January before making a permanent move in the summer.
His first goal at St James’ Park wasn’t great, but he showed he has plenty to offer with two more goals in the second half. The treble is his second in the Premier League and his first since Burnley.
The 32-year-old frontman will not automatically be first choice at the City Ground but has been given the opportunity to open with the injured Taiwo Awoniyi. The goal against Bournemouth last weekend was his first in two months and he has now scored in back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since May 2021.
2. Following the warning, the forest became wild

Alexander Isak caused concern for Forest when he was tackled by Murillo, with referee Chris Kavanagh ruling that the challenge did not merit a penalty. They suffered some bad luck when Isaac went down for the second time less than halfway through the first half. For the third time this season, Forest have been given a race penalty. Matt Turner and Odyssias Vlahodimos were on target once in Manchester United’s 3-2 defeat by Brighton and this time it was Turner who failed to keep out Issac’s effort from 12 yards. Newcastle had chances to extend their lead early on but were never able to put their opponents out of the game. But in the end, Aina’s mistakes cost her dearly.

Three. Miley is a rare and bright spark

With Joelinton still unfit to start, teenager Lewis Miley once again started in the middle of the park. As the game progressed, the youngster looked more comfortable lining up alongside bigger names, but his brilliant first innings was overshadowed by the second. It was Miley who helped open the scoring, delivering a superb reverse pass to Isaac before the striker was brought down. He later had the chance to add his only league goal, but Forest’s defenders and goalkeeper held out in the second half as Newcastle clawed their way back into the game, coming close. Had it not been for Sandro Tonali’s injury and suspension, Eddie Howe may have opted to take the 17-year-old a bit more slowly. But based on his performance this season, he seems ready for that level. 4. Trippier’s misfortune continues

Kieran Trippier has had a difficult few weeks after a particularly difficult nightmare in the Carabao Cup against Chelsea. Newcastle expected to have more possession against Forest, giving Trippier the chance to show more of an attacking threat than a defensive concern.
The England international had plenty of chances to threaten, but his defensive issues were again evident. The clearest example came when Wood scored his third unchallenged goal in the area with Newcastle’s right-back missing.
Custodian Tino Libramento has impressed on the left, but the youngster is equally comfortable on the right. Can he get ahead of the man who led Newcastle against Forest?
5. Nuno faces pressure from another manager

New manager Nuno Espirito Santo has shown that the door is not closed for some Forest players who did not see a future under former Steve Cooper. Gonzalo Montiel made his first start since October alongside rare starts for Callum Hudson-Odoi and Danilo, while Joe Worrall, left behind by Cooper, returned to the bench after two months without playing a single minute. Danilo had some tense moments early on as he gifted the hosts chances that they couldn’t capitalize on. However, it was left-back Aina, a regular player, who took the penalty kick. The new manager’s push could lead to players who have previously been dropped and need inspiration after struggling under their former boss. It was the latter on this occasion, but Worrall’s return from the bench will be another highlight for the visitors. 6. Increasing pressure on the Howe River

The injury crisis has relieved Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, but problems have persisted even after he has re-signed players. The loss against Luton last time was bad enough, but this result could put pressure on the manager.