Pereira Demands More Despite Forest's Commanding Win Over Sunderland

Vitor Pereira emphasized that Nottingham Forest’s battle to secure Premier League survival is far from over, even after extending their lead over the relegation zone to eight points with a dominant 5-0 victory at Sunderland.

Forest delivered a ruthless performance at the Stadium of Light on Friday, with Trai Hume’s own goal breaking the deadlock in the 17th minute. Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Igor Jesus then struck three times in six minutes to complete a first-half demolition. The gap between Wood’s second goal and Jesus’s fourth was just 5 minutes and 59 seconds—Forest’s fastest three-goal sequence in a Premier League match.

Elliot Anderson added a fifth in stoppage time, sealing Forest’s largest top-flight away win since April 1995, when they defeated Sheffield Wednesday 7-1. According to Opta’s projections, Forest now have a 92.7% chance of avoiding relegation, though West Ham (6.9%) and Tottenham (4.3%) each have a game in hand against Everton and Wolves, respectively.

Pereira, however, stressed the need for continued focus in their final four matches of the 2025-26 season. "It isn’t enough. We need more points, we need to win more games, and we need to keep our mentality," he told BBC Match of the Day. "Five goals, a clean sheet—I’m very happy for the players, the supporters, the club, and the staff. We deserve it because we played a fantastic first half."

The manager praised his team’s aggressive approach, saying, "We decided to press them because we are fighting for our lives. When we fight, we feel the need to act, not wait. We executed it well, and the set plays produced fantastic goals."

Sunderland endured their joint-heaviest home defeat in history, matching 6-1 losses to Newcastle United in 1955 and Birmingham City in 1958. They have also conceded three or more goals in consecutive league games for the first time since September 1958.

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris admitted his side was outclassed. "The difference in intensity was clear. We started OK, but they were more involved, intense, and pragmatic," he told Sky Sports. "They pressed well, and we couldn’t handle it. The momentum shifted, and they were clinical—four goals in the first half was like a punch to our face."

Le Bris added, "This is a strong reminder. If we drop our standards even slightly, we’ll be punished. Today, we weren’t at their level—no excuses."