Nottingham Forest defeated Reading 1-0 at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest defender Daniel Fox put in an excellent performance on Saturday as the Reds picked up their first three points of the campaign with a 1-0 victory over Paul Clement’s Reading.
The east Midlands side had been unfortunate not to beat either Bristol City or West Bromwich Albion in their opening two games as each finished 1-1, but against Reading they weren’t to be denied again.
New summer signing and second-half substitute Hillell Soudani became the hero as he grabbed the only goal of the game, finishing off a terrific left-footed effort just 12 minutes after coming off the bench.
While the Algeria international will rightly receive the plaudits for his match-winning goal, Forest’s best player on the park was in fact central defender Fox who is quickly becoming a firm fans’ favourite at the City Ground.
The 32-year-old was immense throughout as Reading had no luck penetrating the Forest defence, with Fox contributing with an impressive two tackles, nine effective clearances and 11 aerial duels won (Whoscored).
Fox arrived at Forest from Southampton in January 2014 on loan before going on to sign a three-year deal with the club the following summer, making 27 Championship appearances in his first full season.
Predominantly a left-back, the former Celtic man soon lost his way somewhat at the City Ground as managers Philippe Montanier and Mark Warburton placed extra emphasis on having attacking fullbacks.
Fox, considering his age and declining speed, was being pushed out of the first-team before Aitor Karanka arrived as manager midway through last term, allowing the player to reinvent himself at centre-back.
He has since become a key figure under the former Middlesbrough manager, and Forest supporters are starting to appreciate his ability to defend as the back four now looks a lot more solid with Fox at the heart of it.
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