New Zealand national team captain Chris Wood has scored a double against his former club, ensuring his Nottingham Forest side secured their English Premier League status for next season.
Wood (32) scored after 76 seconds and in the 14th minute to set up Forest’s win at Burnley, the club for whom he made 144 appearances in four seasons at Turf Moor.
Going into the match — the last of the EPL season — Forest were still mathematically capable of being relegated but only if Luton Town won, and there was a 12-goal swing in the two clubs’ goal differentials.
Wood’s goals ensured the calculators weren’t needed.
The goals took his season tally to 15 in all competitions, of which 14 were scored in the EPL.
He now has 69 goals in the competition and is 68th in the EPL’s all-time goalscorers list.
This season provided him with his fifth double-figure haul in the EPL, a rare feat achieved only by an elite band of strikers that includes Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Harry Kane (Spurs), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) and Son Heung-Min (Spurs).
Of the top 13 goalscorers in the 2023-2024 EPL season, Wood was one of only two who played for a club from the bottom half of the competition.
EPL Golden Boot 2023-24
27 — Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
22 — Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
21 — Alexander Isak (Newcastle United)
19 — Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth), Phil Foden (Manchester City)
18 — Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
17 — Heung-min Son (Tottenham)
16 — Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace)
14 — Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea), Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)
Watch Chris Wood’s latest goals
Watch Chris Wood’s post-match interview
Result
Game played on Monday May 20, 2024 (NZT)
Burnley 1 (Josh Cullen 72′)
Nottingham Forest 2 (Chris Wood 2′, 14′)
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