Ipswich Town will be attempting to bounce back from two Premier League defeats on the spin with a top performance away at Brentford this coming Saturday, but will be aware they’ll be up against it once more on their travels to face the Bees.
Of course, the Tractor Boys’ last visit to London saw Kieran McKenna’s men come unstuck away at West Ham United – with the Hammers turning over the leaky away side 4-1 – but there’ll be fingers crossed in Suffolk all the same that a first win of the campaign is going to come soon.
Liam Delap’s electric form – scoring four goals – has been a notable highlight of the season but there’s a player outscoring him in the Premier League who once played down at Portman Road in Ipswich colours.
Chris Wood's time at Ipswich
It will be a stint across his playing days that the New Zealand international won’t recollect with much emotion attached. Indeed, Chris Wood was on the roster at Ipswich on loan during the 2014/15 season away from then-parent club Leicester City.
Before he ultimately exploded into life away from Suffolk, Wood struggled to ever get going for the Tractor Boys as he attempted to make a name for himself with only eight appearances coming his way that campaign donning Ipswich blue.
He also failed to find the back of the net across those forgettable displays, before heading back to the King Power Stadium to be sold permanently to Leeds United, where he began to show off his now well-known goalscoring prowess.
Wood then netted an impressive 44 strikes from 88 games playing in West Yorkshire, leading to him eventually making the grade in the top-flight where he now shines week in week out as Nottingham Forest’s main talisman.
Chris Wood's form at Forest
Wood has been a man possessed for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side this season to date, hammering home five strikes from eight Premier League contests, with the 32-year-old cementing his reputation as a top striker at that level now.
It was previously up for debate whether the 6 foot 3 forward could really cut it in the top division after a harrowing spell with Newcastle United saw him score just five times in 39 outings, but he is adored at the City Ground away from any lingering St James’ Park demons and rightly so.
Games played
8
Goals scored
5
Assists
0
Shots*
1.6
Expected goals (xG)
3.39
Scoring frequency
129 mins
Goal conversion %
31%
Big chances missed
6
Looking at the table above, it’s abundantly clear that the 32-year-old has been potent in front of goal for Forest, with the on-fire number 11 outperforming his expected goals at 3.39 with a stunning five strikes.
Expected Goals (xG) is a metric designed to measure the probability of a shot resulting in a goal.
Moreover, Wood has also missed six big chances this campaign, which is astounding when you realise how impressive his numbers have been away from shots going astray, with perhaps even more to come from the standout Forest man as the season drags on.
The final goal of his glittering back catalogue for the season so far – which saw him instinctively fire home this winner against Crystal Palace – was actually Wood’s 21st strike from 50 clashes playing for Santo’s men, as his team sit pretty in a respectable eight spot in the current league standings.
There is still a lot of the campaign to go, but Wood – who is bettering Delap’s league goal numbers for Ipswich – is really turning into a crucial player for Forest, after once looking timid in front of goal at Portman Road.
Whilst he strives to reach even dizzier heights at the City Ground, Ipswich will be desperate for a win to come their way soon in the tricky division, with the Tractor Boys anxiously hovering just above the relegation zone.
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1 ByKelan SarsonOct 22, 2024
