‘Terrific’ Awoniyi key to Forest’s EPL survival bid

Taiwo Awoniyi of Nottingham Forest. (Photo: AFP)

Nottingham Forest travel to Chelsea today as they aim to maintain their Premier League status for next season.

Steve Cooper’s side are still involved in the battle to beat the drop, although they sit outside the relegation zone on 33 points after defeating Southampton 4-3 in their last fixture.

A trip to Chelsea would usually be a daunting prospect for a team at the foot of the table but the Blues’ poor form will give them hope of achieving a positive result.

And in Taiwo Awoniyi, Forest possess a player who can heap more misery on Frank Lampard’s porous defence.

Ahead of today’s match, we turn the spotlight on the £17.5million summer signing from Union Berlin.

Awoniyi has enjoyed a fairly productive season, scoring six Premier League goals — the second most for Forest behind Brennan Johnson (eight).

Two of the 25-year-old’s strikes came in the vital win over Southampton, a result, which has galvanised the East Midlands club’s survival bid.

The right-footed forward’s impressive second goal at the City Ground prompted Jamie Carragher to make a comparison with Chelsea icon Didier Drogba.

Carragher said: “He reminded me of Drogba as soon as I saw the goal.

“Absolutely brilliant. I’ve been in that position as a defender. The turn — and bang. Brilliant.”

Cooper seems to have stumbled upon a winning formula with the Nigerian deployed in a front three alongside Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White — a duo who have created 91 chances between them.

They all started together in Forest’s last three Premier League games, where the two-time European Cup winners scored eight of their 34 goals for the season and won six crucial points.

The pace and guile of the two wide men, combined with the presence of