Nottm Forest vs Arsenal: God loves a trier — Nigerian journalist showers Awoniyi with praise

Pulse Sports Nigeria senior editor Solace Chukwu is the latest to shower praise on Super Eagles and Nottingham Forest hero Taiwo Awoniyi.

Chukwu was effusive with his praise after watching the Nigerian forward singlehandedly secure Premier League survival for Forest for another season at the City Ground.

Awoniyi picked up the man of the match award after another match-winning outing as the Reds ended the Premier League title race following a 1-0 win over Arsenal on Saturday.

The 25-year-old netted the only goal of the game to ensure Forest will be in the Premier League next season.

It was his fifth goal in the last three matches for the former European champions.

The performance all but confirmed another year in England’s top division for the former Union Berlin star and his teammates and our Pulse Sports editor particularly enjoyed Awoniyi’s display.

After the game, Chukwu, who is a known Arsenal fan, took to his official social media account to praise the Super Eagles striker for his efforts which he described as ‘unfailingly honest.’

“(Taiwo) Awoniyi gets so many breaks,” Chukwu said in a tweet. “He's not the most technically gifted, but he is unfailingly honest with his effort levels and does all the right things in terms of his movement.”

“God loves a trier,” he added. “Fitting that it's his goals that have kept Forest up.”

Despite scoring Forest’s first goal of the Premier League era following his record transfer from Berlin in the summer, Awoniyi has endured a difficult first season in England.

Before the last three matches, the bullish forward had only scored four goals in the Premier League which led to him losing his starting berth in the Forest eleven.

However, he returned to the Forest starting eleven mid-April and has rewarded his coach Steve Cooper with five goals to take his tally to nine in the league this season.

His nine goals won the Reds 12 points, the seventh highest by any player in the Premier League this campaign.