The revival of the traditional number nine has gathered pace. Chris Wood is helping the big target man become fashionable again after his electric start to the season for Nottingham Forest. The 32-year-old scored twice in the second half to help his current side beat his former one, Leicester City, on Friday and send them up to fifth in the Premier League.
Only Manchester City's Erling Haaland [10] has scored more in the league than the seven-goal New Zealand international this season. Since Nuno Espírito Santo's first game in charge of Forest on 23 December, 2023, only Haaland [18] has scored more non-penalty league goals than Wood's tally of 17. As the pair lead the top-flight's scoring charts, and Norwegian Haaland also a powerful physical presence up front, Wood is revelling in the return of the old-fashioned centre-forward.
"We want to try to bring it back or I'll be out of a job," he said. "For a period of time, the small centre-forward or the number 10 mixed role with the number nine, it kind of came into fashion. "Thankfully Erling has come and brought it back into fashion, he has got a lot of pace and power, some things I don't have, but it is making it easier for us number nines.
" Wood, who also scored the winner in Monday's 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace , has moved level with Stan Collymore on 22 Premier League goals for Forest after his double at the King Power Stadium, with only Bryan Roy [24] scoring more for the club in the competition. His first came from .