“I see similarities with Leicester” – Ex-Barcelona striker backs Ola Aina’s Nott’m Forest to win EPL title

Former Barcelona and England striker, Gary Lineker, has backed Taiwo Awoniyi and Ola Aina’s Nottingham Forest to emulate Leicester City’s 2016 side and win the Premier League title, Soccernet.ng reports.

In one year at the City Ground, Nuno Espirito Santo has rejuvenated Forest, taking them from being a relegation-threatened side to a club confidently dwelling in the Premier League’s top four.

The Reds are currently 4th on the league table and are just two points behind Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal after sealing a 2-0 win against Brentford, courtesy of goals from Ola Aina and Anthony Elanga. The three points at the Gtech Community Stadium was Forest’s third win on the bounce, and the second time they’ve achieved such a feat this season.

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Lineker, who started his professional football career with Leicester City, revealed on BBC’s Match of the Day that Forest’s brilliant form reminded him of when his former side defied the odds to lift the English Premier League title back in 2016 under Claudio Ranieri.

“I see similarities with the way Leicester won the league. I’m not saying Forest will win the league, but a similar style of play,” the 1980 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winner said in quotes revealed by Nottingham Post.

Match of the Day pundit, Ashley Williams, echoed Lineker’s thoughts and praised the over-achievers for their style of play this season.

“I think it plays into the way that Nuno sets them up. They’re so comfortable without the ball. They’ve got a strong spine in the team. They don’t need to dominate possession at all but when they do win the ball back they get it forward very early, quickly and with purpose. They don’t always have the ball, but as soon as they get it they’ve got one thing on their mind.

“They don’t hang about; they’re not slow in their build-up with Nuno. When they do get the ball, they want to get it forward quickly. Most of the time when they get possession, it ends in some sort of chance. They’re not messing around with the ball, they just get it forward quickly,” the former Everton midfielder concluded.

Nottingham Forest have now equalled the total number of wins they got in the English Premier League last season (9) in just 17 games under Nuno this term.