Newcastle 1-3 Nottingham Forest: Player ratings as Wood hat-trick sinks former club

Chris Wood scored a hat-trick against his former club as Nottingham Forest secured a huge Boxing Day away win at Newcastle United.

The Magpies have been imperious on home soil in the Premier League this term, and it initially looked as if they'd stroll to a festive victory over the woefully out-of-form visitors. Forest, however, proved deadly on the counter-attack, and a couple of cultured Wood finishes saw them pull away in the second half.

Nuno Espirito Santo's first win as Forest boss saw them pull away from the relegation zone, while Newcastle suffered their third defeat in four Premier League games.

The previous day's merriment and an early kick-off made for a fairly subdued St James' Park atmosphere as an unfamiliar Nottingham Forest XI took to the field.

Nuno opted to freshen things up in his second game at the helm, but the early signs were worrying. The visitors were bereft of ideas in possession, and while Newcastle weren't exactly dominant, they did take an inevitable lead through Alexander Isak after he was brought down in the penalty area by Ola Aina. The Swede coolly converted from 12 yards.

Conceding first has rarely been a positive for Forest this term, but it was the team in red that appeared more threatening thereafter. The guile of Morgan Gibbs-White and speed of Anthony Elanga made for a troubling combination for the hosts, and it was those two who were key in drawing Forest level just before half-time. Former Magpie Wood tapped home from Elanga's cross after some excellent work in transition from Gibbs-White.

It was a frantic end to the opening period, and a similar theme ensued after the restart with Forest well on top. Their spritely playmakers continued to shine, and they took a deserved lead as Wood