Nottingham Forest midfielder Ben Osborn continued to show his potential as the club lost to Watford.
Nottingham Forest midfielders Ben Osborn and Michail Antonio had their most creative game of the season last night, but even their efforts were not enough to stop Dougie Freedman’s side losing 3-1 to Championship leaders Watford.
England under-20 international Osborn created six goalscoring chances in the game at the City Ground, a figure which has only been bettered once by a Forest player in 2014/15.
Osborn’s six key passes narrowly edged Michail Antonio who made five – more than he has in any other game this season.
| Match | Key Passes | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Osborn | Forest vs Watford | 6 | 85 |
| Ben Osborn | Middlesbrough vs Forest | 5 | 90 |
| Ben Osborn | Fulham vs Forest | 4 | 90 |
Osborn’s previous best was in another defeat, the 3-0 away loss to Middlesbrough on Boxing Day.
| Match | Key Passes | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michail Antonio | Forest vs Watford | 5 | 89 |
| Michail Antonio | Sheff Wed vs Forest | 3 | 79 |
| Michail Antonio | Reading vs Forest | 3 | 82 |
The match against Watford also saw Michail Antonio step up in terms of creativity – and it is a little remarkable that this was the first game he has created more than three chances this season, considering he has 11 assists to his name.
The best individually creative performance of the season, and the only time Osborn’s six has been topped, came from Henri Lansbury – who made 10 in a 3-1 home loss to Birmingham in late December.
| Match | Key Passes | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henri Lansbury | Forest vs Birmingham | 10 | 89 |
Forest managed 11 shots on target last night in comparison to Watford’s 10, but strikers Chuba Akpom and Tyler Walker managed only one between them, which in part tells it’s own story as to why the Hornets were the more clinical side, with their own frontman Odion Ighalo finding the net.
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