WHEN Anthony Elanga took advantage of more poor Ipswich defending to score Forest’s third goal in six first-half-minutes, the away fans could not resist.
“You’re going down with the Leicester” they gleefully told their hosts.
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And the blitz that blew Town another step down towards a return to the Championship told you everything about why two-time winners Forest are a good bet to be back in the European Cup next season.
Centre back Nikola Milenkovic has shown himself to be one of the best signings of the season with his work at one end of the pitch.
After the Serb broke the deadlock, another of Forest’s excellent recruitment decisions, former Manchester United man Elanga, scored two goals typical of him and his team.
The Ipswich defending was bad again but the ruthlessness and speed with which Elanga took advantage were sensational.
When Nuno Espirito Santo’s team break at pace, there are few more thrilling sights in the Premier League.
In 2025/6, the same will surely apply to European football. The only question is which competition Forest will be contesting.
Jens Cajuste and George Hirst grabbed consolation goals either side of Forest substitute Jota Silva claiming the visitors’ fourth.
But there can be little doubt about where Ipswich are heading, especially after Wolves’ win at doomed Southampton.
The hosts did OK for the first 20 minutes and went closest to scoring when Omari Hutchinson fired just over the bar.
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But the warning signs were there.
The Forest supporters sang “England’s No 10” all afternoon in honour of Morgan Gibbs-White and Thomas Tuchel’s debatable decision not to include him in his first squad.
Gibbs-White recovered the ball on the edge of his own penalty area and his team were on the attack in a blur of red.
Seconds later Callum Hudson-Odoi had raced to the byline and sent a ball across the six-yard box that someone really should have tucked into the net.
No matter.
Soon afterwards, Delap’s weak defensive header fell to Milenkovic. The Serb lashed the ball into the top corner, with a savagery to match the away supporters’ chant about his alleged capacity for violence.
Within two minutes, Hutchinson lost the ball and seconds later it was in the net again.
Nicolas Dominguez fed Elanga and he raced down the right, before beating Jacob Greaves way too easily and curling a superb finish inside the far post.
There was worse, and even worse defending, still to come for the home side.
Milenkovic’s hefty punt down the field cleared Wood and his marker. Elanga reacted by far the quickest, nodding the ball past Greaves and running on to beat Alex Palmer with a low finish.
Ipswich at least began the second half as if they thought it wasn’t game over.
Cameron Burgess replaced the hapless Greaves in defence and Hutchinson forced Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels into his first proper save, but a routine one from a shot from distance.
Delap should have Sels work harder soon afterwards. But when Leif Davis swung in a good corner, the Ipswich striker sent a free header from 12 yards wide.
Some more questionable Ipswich defending led to a chance for Wood, but Forest’s top scorer could manage only a tame shot that Palmer stopped with a bit more fuss than necessary.
With a quarter of the game to go, Nuno took off Elanga and sent on an extra defender, to save his team’s explosiveness for another day.
Ipswich, like others before them, had been blown away. Cajuste’s fine finish was too little, too late and Silva scored from Gibbs-White’s pass after another rapid break by Forest. Home substitute Hirst made the scoreline look more respectable.
“Real Madrid, we’re coming for you,” sang the away fans. They may well be right.
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