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Taiwo Awoniyi: Nigerian star scores match winner in Forest home debut

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The Nigerian star made a perfect first impression at City Ground.

Nottingham Forest defeated West Ham 1-0 in their first home game of the 2022-23 season.

Forest bounced back from their 2-0 loss against Newcastle on the Premier League’s opening day.

Awoniyi, who joined Forest earlier this summer, scored the match-winner for his side just before the half-time whistle.

However, Manchester United loanee Dean Henderson became Forest’s hero by saving a penalty in the second half.

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Declan Rice tried to drill a low shot into the bottom-left corner of the net. However, Henderson prevented the Hammers from scoring the equaliser with a well-timed save.

West Ham continued their efforts to get back into the game after the missed penalty. However, their attacks only provided more space for Forest’s counter-attacks.

The Hammers eventually took control of the possession in the final ten minutes. But their efforts were not enough to escape the defeat.

Forest have added as many as 12 new players to their ranks this summer. Their solid performance against West Ham fully displayed their will to stay in the Premier League, while the likes of Awoniyi showed promising signs of adapting to life in the English top-flight.

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