Relegation battles are nothing new for Chris Wood, but this latest battle for survival at Nottingham Forest is proving to be completely unique. In a chaotic season full of controversial refereeing and VAR decisions, plus a four-point deduction for breaching financial rules, Wood's 12 league goals are helping to keep Forest's hopes of staying alive.
Yet now is the moment when Forest face champions Manchester City in the spotlight on Sunday after the extraordinary fallout from their defeat at Everton.
After being denied what the club believed were three clear-cut penalties, furious Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis pressed the nuclear button at the final whistle with a remarkable post on the club's 'X' account.
The club warned that Forest 'simply cannot accept' the poor decisions and also sparked a row with the Premier League by claiming VAR Stuart Attwell was a fan of rivals Luton Town.
Three extremely bad decisions - three penalties that were not given - that we simply cannot accept.
We warned the PGMOL before the match that the VAR is a Luton fan, but they didn't change it. Our patience has been tested several times.
NFFC will now consider its options.
- Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) April 21, 2024
Wood speaks for the first time about the events at Goodison Park and explains the emotions of the Forest dressing room Telegraph Sports.
"We were all angry after the game, upset and frustrated," he says. "I think a lot of clubs have had a lot [of bad decisions] but I do think we've had more than our share this season - more than last season.
"Everyone will complain about VAR in some way, but in the end we got a lot [go against us]. We cannot make the decisions, we can only control what happens on the pitch and how we play.
"It's a shame, but we parked it the next day. We still have four games to go in quick succession and we cannot elaborate on that. We have to concentrate and go again."
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In the post-match social media post, Wood added: "I can certainly understand the frustration.
"What they put out there is their business, and those are their words. There was frustration among many people, but that is up to the club."
'It will probably go to the last day'
With four games left in the season, Wood insists Forest must bounce back quickly. Under head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, Forest are just one point above the relegation zone and, after facing City, play Sheffield United, Chelsea and Wood's former club Burnley.
Although they expect the outcome of their appeal against the points deduction next week, that visit to Turf Moor on May 19 already seems significant.
"Everyone hopes not, but it will probably take until the last day," Wood said.
"We have winnable games and it is up to us to win them. It's still in our hands and hopefully it won't get to that point at the end of the season [the controversial decisions] proves to be potentially costly.
"I've been here a few times before with Burnley and Newcastle, and now with Forest. It is a position I am used to and I try to pass on my experience to everyone."
Without Wood, Forest might be in deeper trouble than they already are. He has performed brilliantly since Nuno's appointment in December, scoring ten goals in fifteen appearances (his favorite being the second goal of his hat-trick at Newcastle on Boxing Day).
'I'm not a flashy player... I just need the service'
Indeed, his goalscoring record requires closer inspection. At Burnley he achieved double figures for four consecutive seasons, helping the club avoid relegation time and time again.
His importance was further underlined when Newcastle activated his £25m release clause in January 2022 and collapsed four months later.
Earlier this month it was also revealed that Wood had the best shot-to-goal conversion rate (39.3 percent) of any striker in Europe's top five leagues this season. Yes, better than Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé.
"I am extremely happy with what I have achieved in the Premier League and I want to achieve more," he said. "There are still so many goals I want to tick off, and hopefully I can do that.
"I'm not a flashy player, I'm not going to take on three players and put them in the top corner.
"It's just not my type of game, mine lives off the serves of other players. That's what I've been dealing with my whole career, just relying on people to create something for me. That's what a good team does, they provide their striker."
Wood, 32, has always believed Nuno's arrival would prove a turning point in his Forest career.
At Wolves, Nuno turned a traditional goalkeeper in Raul Jimenez into one of the most feared strikers in the Premier League, and Wood believes there are similarities.
"Nuno has put a lot of trust in me and I'm just trying to repay that. Jimenez at Wolves did extremely well with him and I wanted to hopefully fill the same role for Nuno," he says.
"He seems to get the best out of me and I want to keep doing that for as long as possible.
"I have been given a new life. Actually starting games and getting a chance to play has helped tremendously."
'Horses are a good way to get away from it all'
Since moving to Forest last January, initially on loan, Wood has become a popular and respected player in the dressing room. He is part of the team's leadership group. This summer he will marry his partner Emma in a wedding on the Amalfi Coast.
Fortunately, apart from the intensity of the season, Wood finds ways to relax. He owns a number of horses at the Manor House stables in the Cheshire countryside, run by former England international Michael Owen.
It's a passion that first started for Wood when his father, Grant, took him to trot in Auckland.
"The horses are a good way to get away from it all and take your mind off the football. Everyone needs that distraction outside their main task," he says.
"I love seeing them in the stables and on the track, and I go as much as I can. My parents love it and go to every race day. At Royal Ascot we will hopefully have one or two horses, and we are extremely happy with some of the horses we have.
"I would like to keep it going as long as possible. It is an expensive hobby, but as long as you have a good group of people around you who contribute, it is a lot easier."
For the time being, the full focus is on reaching the winning post.
