Taiwo Awoniyi is on red hot recent form and his strong first season in the Premier League has been rewarded with a record breaking feat.
The Super Eagles star scored his 10th League goal of the season on the final day of the English Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace.
He scored the opening goal of the campaign in brilliant fashion half an hour in. Awoniyi had it all to do in transition with two defenders and the goalkeeper standing between himself and a goal but the Nigerian was undaunted. He cut inside to confuse the first defender and cut outside again to bamboozle the second before rifling home a left footed strike past Sam Johnstone in the Palace goal.
TAIWO, TAIWO AWONIYI 🗣️
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) May 28, 2023
Awoniyi’s brilliant strike was not enough for Forest to get the three points though as Will Hughes equalized in the 65th minute of the match to earn a point for the home team. It was a match that palace dominated for rue most part and the London side would feel disappointed to have not gotten more out of the game.
The match ended in a draw but Forest’s safety had already been confirmed before this fixture after they beat Arsenal at home weeks prior. Awoniyi scored the winner on that day as part of the amazing run of form that he is on.
What Record Did Awoniyi Break?
Awoniyi became the first player since Crystal Palace’s Andrew Johnson to score the opening goal in eight games for a newly promoted side in a single season as reported by Opta’s twitter page.
8 – Taiwo Awoniyi has scored in eight Premier League games this season and has put Nottingham Forest 1-0 up in each match. The last player to open the scoring more times in a single season for a newly promoted club was Andrew Johnson with Crystal Palace in 2004-05 (9). Example. pic.twitter.com/JmNdPba2eb
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 28, 2023
This was a record that stood for 18 seasons before the Super Eagles striker beat it as Andrew Johnson did it in the 2004/2005 campaign.
His recent form and performances have made him a fan favorite as his form has come in a period where they have needed it the most.
His six goals in the last four games meant that he had scored in every single game this month and that return made him the first Forest player to score in four consecutive top flight League games since 1995.
With his 10th League goal of the season, Awoniyi also became part of an exclusive club of players in Forest history. He became only the fourth ever player to score 10 or more goals in the English top flight for the club with the other three players being Nigel Clough in the 1992/1993 season, Stan Collymore in the 1994/1995 season and Bryan Roy also in the 1994/1995 season.
It has been a tough season for Awoniyi and Forest but they finish their first Premier League campaign in nearly two decades in 16th place.
His return to form and fitness is also a welcome boost for the Super Eagles as he is an essential member of the attack and will definitely be needed when AFCON 2023 comes around.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
