Morgan Gibbs-White: The Key to Nottingham Forest's Survival?

Nottingham Forest continued their recent resurgence with a 2-0 win over local rivals Leicester City on Saturday. Club-record signing Morgan Gibbs-White was at the heart of everything for Steve Cooper's men, laying on both assists for Brennan Johnson as Forest climbed to 13th in the Premier League table, and it's no surprise that both player and club have found form at the same time. 

After nearly leading the Blades to promotion with a breakout 2021/22 campaign, Gibbs-White arrived at the City Ground from Wolves for £42.5 million, including add-ons. An astronomical fee for a player with just a handful of top-level experience. But his performances since the resumption of domestic football have shown that the 22-year-old can replicate the sort of displays he made commonplace on loan at Swansea City and Sheffield United.

Comfortable receiving the ball on the half turn, Gibbs White is at his most dangerous driving at the heart of the opposition defence before threading balls into Forest's wide men. He's struck up a productive partnership with Johnson, though his teammate's lack of composure has often left Gibbs-White frustrated. 

With four Premier League assists to his name, Gibbs-White has singled himself out as Forest's chief creator. The 22-year-old has assumed set-piece responsibility and proved his credentials by setting up goals for both Cheikhou Kouyate and Emmanuel Dennis. His in-swinging deliveries have given Forest an edge that could prove pivotal in their bid for survival.