How the genius tactical play from Nottingham Forest is placing them firmly at the top of the Premier League

The national anthem of the Champions League will certainly sound around the city area next season and rightly so.

Nottingham Forest closes after an ordinary incredible campaign to a top five Premier League finish.

The side of Nuno Espirito Santo remained only six points last season and many predictions for this period had involved them in a different relegation scrap.

But they have the faith to consistently be the nearest challengers for Liverpool and Arsenal.

Forest is tactically a unique side with some of the most underrated players in the competition. Here is how they have shocked everyone this year.

Statistics just not good

The clinical and resilient side of Forest can be seen when the figures are brightened up.

In terms of attacks, they are in fourth place for the shot conversation and the 14th for total shots, while they have the least amount of average in the division.

Only Liverpool and Arsenal have admitted less, but Forest does it without pressing when they take place at the 18th to win the ball in the third of the opposition.

So how do they keep so many teams out? In essence, the park is the bus brilliance.

In Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo they have two great box defenders and full-backs, usually Neco Williams and Ola Aina, rarely move forward.

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Nuno cuts his team in the middle with an setup in which six players defend and four attacks.

When they are out of possession, they are on the edge of their own box in a 4-4-2 form and it is extremely narrow and difficult to continue playing.

They are well drilled in blocking passing lanes, where they set falling to win it back and accelerate the ball wide.

Forest then itself must come in a cross, with an airy dominant center-back and a keeper in-shape such as Matz Sels are a must.

Teams have so much of the ball but can't go anywhere, it's the magic of the formation.

Dreams Dreams of our Murillo

The Brazilian 22-year-old is not far from Ruben Dias and Virgil van Dijk levels. It is just excellent.

He is so good at giving Spits's no room to work with and he is the leader of the rear four.

Murillo does this amazing thing where when the ball is on one side of the field, he brings the two nearest forest players closer to him while marking the rival center-forward.

When opponents are about to cross, Murillo drops two steps and follows the rest of the team.

We see that players put their hands in the air like a signal for a free kick and the line of defense then falls. In essence, Murillo does it in open game. It's great.

He also plague the striker before the ball comes in with smart pushes and holding.

In Forest's 2-1 win over Tottenham, Spurs crossed the ball 48 times and scored with their last cross attempt when Murillo Richarlison gave a nightmare evening.

Don't look back, Elanga

Against Spurs, Anthony Elanga played as a second striker in the 4-4-2 in the form of possession, ready to use his explosive pace during the break.

Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs white are tucked away to frustrate the inverted full-backs formation that use so many teams, so that opponents have no room to work with.

Wood is the center and Elanga is free, ready to float around the rush to cause damage where he wants.

The ex-husband Utd star floats wide in the space that leaves offensive full-backs, where it is ready to receive the ball and break from.

In the transition, passes are always focused on Elanga to start the counterattack.

And the team allocates the defensive structures of the opponent to help with their fast breaks.

Wood drops deeply to keep the ball up and runners go further, defending lines then hit Jagged so that they cannot play offside because Elanga really does not look back and sprints forward.

Where is forest, there is wood

You would be forgiven that you think Wood's Run would not continue … But continue.

But the veteran striker remains the most clinical attacker of the competition, his 19 goals this season are eight more than his expected goals have predicted (only three of his strikes are also fines).

Returning to him who falls deeply, when Forest is recovering with approval, he positions himself in the midfield of the opponent with the broad players on either side of him.

Middlebacks do not want to leave their zone and towed miles away, that whimsical backline, and Wood can win headers and set up for his Speedster teammates.

Forest is also happy to go for a long time and puts it on Wood's head. They have players around him to pick up the loose balls.

A Throwback Center-Forward and it works wonders.

Give them Ell

Elliot Anderson is one of the most undervalued players in the Premier League.

His consciousness of where he can help defensively and his positional game is brilliant and key to Nuno's system.

He can play three three, the number 6 roll, part of a double pivot and further on the field in attack.

All action that Anderson knows when Elanga, Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi are moving forward and covering.

It is exactly what Nuno requires in an setup that priority never in the minority.

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