Nuno Espirito Santo responded to seeing his Nottingham Forest side go third in the Premier League table for the first time since September 1998 by insisting: “I think we can get better”.
A 3-0 victory over West Ham United on Saturday helped Forest notch up a third consecutive win and lifted them into their highest position in 26 years.
Chris Wood scored his eighth Premier League goal of the campaign, before Edson Alvarez made life more difficult for the visitors when he collected a second yellow card in first-half injury time.
Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ola Aina added spectacular second half goals to lift the roof of the City Ground — and lift Forest into the Champions League places.
“I think we can get better, of course. The longer the team is together, the better we will know each other,” said Nuno. “The players who are injured are coming back. So the group should be even stronger. As time goes by, the bond will only grow; they will help each other more. This is my belief.”
Nuno said his focus would be on the next game, when Newcastle visit the City Ground next weekend. But he did concede that, after the relegation struggles of last season, he is enjoying giving fans moments to enjoy.
“It is not only for me. It is for the whole group. The intensity with which we work… that is what we focus on. That is what we must continue to do: work hard. Nothing has changed,” he said. “We have to keep on going. There is no other way. If you get distracted, football does not forgive you.
“Giving fans days like this does give you pleasure, of course it does. We have had afternoons and evenings where we have been really disappointed together.
“Now we can share this joy and happiness. It is massive. All of us should be proud of the way we performed.
“The players understand that we should not get complacent, even when we have the extra man – and they did not. They went for the game and they scored beautiful, amazing goals that we should all enjoy – because that is what football is all about.”
(Michael Regan/Getty Images)
