Chris Wood hunts Newcastle with sensational hat-trick as Nottingham pick away win

Chris Wood left his former club Newcastle stunned with a stellar hat-trick for Nottingham Forest in a boxing day clash.

The New Zealand striker, starting under manager Nuno Espirito Santo, netted three goals to secure a 3-1 win for Forest at St James’ Park.

Wood’s hat-trick came after Aleksandar Isak had initially given Newcastle the lead in their bid to reverse a challenging run of form.

Wood was offloaded from Newcastle’s camp, after arriving in January 2022, where he scored just four Premier League goals in 35 appearances.

His first goal in first-half injury time was a straightforward tap-in from close range after excellent work by Anthony Elanga.

The second was a fine finish, with Wood chipping the ball over the goalkeeper from a tight angle.

While Wood was the star of the game, Forest also relied on contributions from Joe Worrall and Neco Williams to secure the win.

The victory takes Nottingham Forest to 17 points, while Newcastle remains seven points off the top four, facing the risk of slipping further down the table in upcoming matches.