‘Amazing’ player scores his 20th Premier League goal since leaving Newcastle United

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The curious case of Chris Wood continues to haunt Newcastle United.

At a time when Newcastle United are struggling for goals, one of their former strikers continues his outstanding start to the season.

Chris Wood scored Nottingham Forest’s only goal on Monday night as they beat Crystal Palace 1-0. It was Wood’s fifth goal of the season, and it lifts Forest to eighth in the Premier League and above Newcastle United.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
7	TottenhamTottenham	8	4	1	3	18	9	9	13
8	Nottm ForestNottingham Forest	8	3	4	1	8	6	2	13
9	NewcastleNewcastle	8	3	3	2	8	8	0	12

Nuno Espirito Santo told the Guardian that Wood is ‘amazing’ after his latest goal, as Forest continue to enjoy a really strong start to the season.

Meanwhile, Newcastle have issues with their forward line. Alexander Isak missed some big chances against Brighton, while Callum Wilson is out injured.

There is belief that Newcastle will start to score goals soon, but Eddie Howe remains at the mercy of Wilson’s ability to remain fit. While he is almost back in action, there will always be a fear that another injury is right around the corner.

Newcastle need someone who is reliable, and that is exactly what Chris Wood has been for Nottingham Forest.

Chris Wood is outperforming Callum Wilson

Since leaving Newcastle for Forest on loan and then permanently for £15million, the New Zealand international has been on fire.

The only period in which he struggled for goals was when he first joined Forest, with Wood making seven appearances and scoring just once in the 2022/23 season after he first moved to the City Ground. His season was then ended early due to injury.

Since then, Wood has proven to be a consistent source of goals for Forest – and he has actually outscored Callum Wilson since the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign.

Newcastle need someone who is reliable

This is not to say that Newcastle United made a mistake selling Wood. They actually did the right thing in moving him on, and he is probably the only good example in recent years of Newcastle selling well.

While Wood has been outstanding for Forest, he was not a consistent scorer for the Magpies. After his transfer from Burnley, Wood scored five goals in 39 appearances in all competitions.

But he was still impactful in black and white. Howe could rely on Wood, who led the line well and defended from the front. He allowed those around him to thrive, such as Allan Saint-Maximin, while he was always available for selection.

That is exactly what Callum Wilson is not. He is a much better goalscorer than Wood, and the stats back that up. Since Wood left Newcastle, he has scored 20 Premier League goals in 46 games. During that same period, Wilson has scored 21 goals in 37 games. The issue is availability.

Wood has consistently been chipping away, scoring important goals in garibaldi red. Meanwhile, Wilson has been injured.

That is why Newcastle are looking to sign a striker, while Wood continues to prove that he can be a consistent Premier League goalscorer, despite his struggles at St James’ Park.