Sport

Hudson-Odoi has finally become the player many believed he would be during his Chelsea days.

When Nottingham Forest needed someone to step up in arguably their biggest match of the season so far, Callum Hudson-Odoi obliged. His goal against Manchester City on Saturday gave Forest a 1-0 win, bolstering their chances of finishing in the top five and sensationally qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

Forest have been the biggest surprise package in the Premier League this term. After struggling against the threat of relegation last season, nobody expected Nuno Espirito Santo’s team to be so close to the top of the table. Nottingham Forest are now just a few results away from pulling off an incredible achievement.

Talent-wise, though, there is genuine quality at the City Ground. Only Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak have scored more league goals than Chris Wood this season. Anthony Elanga continues to pose a threat on the wing while Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo have forged arguably the strongest centre back pairing in the English top flight.

Hudson-Odoi, however, is of a different pedigree. It wasn’t so long ago that the winger was widely seen as one of the best young players in the Premier League. Chelsea saw Hudson-Odoi as a big part of the club’s future while other clubs like Bayern Munich wanted to spend big money to sign him.

Of course, Hudson-Odoi’s development path was ultimately disputed by the chaos at Chelsea. At the City Ground, though, the 24-year-old has found a healthy environment for growth and is finally flourishing as the player so many believed he would become earlier in his career. He has been central to Forest’s success.

Nuno’s system is set up to get the best out of Hudson-Odoi. Nottingham Forest have a solid defensive foundation, but are so quick to attack open space when they have the opportunity to do so. Elanga is a flyer and can use his pace to get forward. Hudson-Odoi, though, has more nuance to his game.

By scoring against Manchester City on Saturday, Hudson-Odoi took his tally for the season to five goals. The 24-year-old is a reliable goal threat for Forest such is his willingness to cut inside off the left wing and get a shot away. He is a good dribbler and has the speed to get in behind. The thing that separates Hudson-Odoi from the rest, though, is his determination to affect the game.

Morgan Gibbs-White is the other Nottingham Forest who is on the same level as Hudson-Odoi. Between the pair, Nuno has genuine quality to deploy in the attacking third. While Manchester City struggled to make anything happen up front at the City Ground on Saturday, Forest produced a game-winning moment.

“It was a tough game, everybody saw how good Manchester City are,” said Nuno after the win on Saturday. “They had us on the ropes, but the boys worked very hard. Of course, they were going to have chances, but then it was then about us taking ours. “The focus does not change. We are on to the next one, Ipswich. It [beating City] shows the progress of the squad but there is so much football to be played. Let’s focus on the journey and move on to the next one.”

Forest’s qualification for the Champions League would be the biggest underdog story in the Premier League since Leicester City won the title in 2016. Hudson-Odoi, however, belongs at the elite level of European football. He is good enough for that standard. Finally, the winger is fulfilling the potential he showed years ago.