Nottingham Forest manager Vitor Pereira revealed his side had no intention of settling for anything less than victory before delivering a ruthless 5-0 Premier League win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Forest produced a dominant first-half display on Wearside, scoring four goals in a devastating spell that effectively ended the contest before the break. The result moves Pereira’s side closer to Premier League safety, while Sunderland were left reflecting on a heavy and damaging defeat.
Pereira said his message to his players before kick-off was clear and uncompromising.
“I said to them to win in this stadium against Sunderland… we need to play at our best level,” he explained. “In my opinion, the first half was full – tactically, mentally, pressing, creating problems, scoring goals, not conceding.”
He praised his team’s intensity and discipline, particularly in the opening 45 minutes, where Sunderland were overwhelmed in every area of the pitch.
“The second half started with yellow cards, some problems, injuries, but we stayed compact, we defended well, and we scored again,” he added. “We didn’t concede and kept a clean sheet. Very important for us.”
The Forest boss insisted his side never approached the game with caution, instead taking an aggressive mindset from the outset.
“To be honest, we didn’t come here to draw,” Pereira said. “We came for the three points because we need more than them. If we need more than them, we must prove it on the pitch.”
He described the performance as close to complete, particularly highlighting both the attacking output and defensive resilience.
“We did everything,” he said. “Not just because we scored five goals, but because we didn’t concede. That’s what makes me proud.”
For Sunderland, the defeat was a stark reminder of the gap in execution on the night, with defensive frailties exposed early and repeatedly by a clinical Forest side. Post-match reactions included apologies from players and analysis from within the club as they assessed one of their heaviest defeats of the season.
Pereira, meanwhile, urged focus on consistency and self-control as the campaign reaches its decisive stage.
“It’s about us, only us,” he said. “We can’t control other results. We can only control what we do on the pitch.”
Forest’s emphatic win not only strengthens their survival hopes but also sends a strong message of intent after a commanding performance built on aggression, efficiency, and relentless pressure from start to finish.
