Skysport Confirmed: Nottingham Forest superstar who can Reds to new heights renew his contract…..

Anthony Elanga pointed at Taiwo Awoniyi and gave a knowing nod as Chelsea fans in the stand behind shook their heads.

It was a look of recognition and appreciation. Elanga opened his Nottingham Forest account in superb style at Stamford Bridge, with a cool-as-you-like finish. But his teammate deserved just as much credit for what proved to be a crucial, winning goal.

It is no surprise Awoniyi has been nominated for the August Premier League Player of the Month award. Last Saturday’s assist merited a special shoutout on its own – a peach of a ball, delightfully rolled through the legs of Thiago Silva for Elanga to run on to.

That pass capped a very impressive first month of the season for the Reds striker. Although he didn’t get on the scoresheet himself in the capital, it says everything about the kind of form he has been in that there was an expectation he would put a decent chance away.

We missed the chance of the first half, with T off the set-piece,” head coach Steve Cooper said afterwards. “He’s the guy we probably wanted it to fall to!”

Awoniyi has been scoring goals for fun. Finding the back of the net against Arsenal, Sheffield United and Manchester United made it seven games in a row with his name on the scoresheet, picking up from where he left off last season. He became the first Forest player to achieve such a feat in the Premier League.

Goals are always the currency of a forward. They are what strikers get judged on. But there is also so much more to Awoniyi’s game, as he showed against Chelsea.

And it wasn’t just about his assist. He also bullied the Blues back line for much of the game. He can be a constant menace when he is on form. Having slimmed down a little during the summer, he also looks particularly sharp