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Nottingham Forest boosted their Premier League survival hopes with a 2–0 win over Brighton on Sunday as Taiwo Awoniyi ended a year-long league goal drought to seal the points at the City Ground, footynaija.com reports.
The Nigeria striker came off the bench to score Forest’s second, finishing off a swift counter-attack after latching on to a pass from Morgan Gibbs-White, powering into the box and calmly placing his shot beyond goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher. The goal was his first in the league in over 12 months and a deeply emotional moment after a long spell disrupted by injury and lack of minutes.
A special goal for Taiwo. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/LWlmbMWbwv
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) January 25, 2026
Awoniyi’s struggles have led to speculation about his future, but the 28-year-old insisted he still sees himself as a Premier League player.
“I have always believed this is where I want to be. I have always believed I am a Premier League player, no matter what’s going on around me,” he told Forest TV.
He also paid tribute to head coach Sean Dyche for restoring his confidence. “The coach came in and he brought me back and this is something I am happy about and getting the goal today is something I am happy about,” Awoniyi said, adding: “Getting the goal is what I am pleased about but the most important thing is that I have always believed in God and myself.”
Taiwo’s post-match reaction. ❤️
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) January 25, 2026
Dyche revealed he had a quiet word with the striker before the game. “He works hard for us and he’s trained well. Funnily enough, I chatted with him last week and reminded him to be free, and he looked free when he came on,” the Forest boss said. “It was a very good finish.”
Although Igor Jesus remains Forest’s first-choice forward, Dyche believes Awoniyi’s goal could mark a turning point after a long and difficult road back to fitness.
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