Sunderland 0-5 Nottingham Forest: Gibbs-White’s hot streak moves Tricky Trees eight clear of relegation zone

Red-hot Morgan Gibbs-White may have just boosted Nottingham Forest clear of relegation danger with a goal and an assist in the Tricky Trees’ 5-0 pounding of Sunderland on Friday at the Stadium of Light.

WATCH — Sunderland vs Nottingham Forest full match replay

The visitors scored four of their goals in the first half, an own goal joined by Gibbs-White, Chris Wood, and Igor Jesus on the ledger before Elliot Anderson nabbed Forest’s fifth deep in second half stoppage time.

The Tricky Trees pull eight points clear of 18th-place Spurs and six ahead of 17th-place West Ham.

Gibbs-White has seven goals in his last seven Premier League games including a hat trick last time out as he presses for a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England lineup.

Sunderland’s hopes of European qualification take a hit, as their 46 points, good for 11th on the table and just three back of seventh-place Bournemouth, is now accompanied by a goal differential of minus-9. That figure is the worst of any team above 17th on the table.

Morgan Gibbs-White can fire Forest back to Europe

Not that Sunderland put up much of a fight in the first half, but Morgan Gibbs-White was electric again on Friday. The 26-year-old had a goal and an assist to bring up to 13 and three this Premier League season, and he has five goals in his last three games across all competitions after scoring the lone goal against Porto in the second leg of the Europa League quarterfinal (Porto, we might add, is in the Portuguese league’s title driver’s seat having allowed just 14 goals in 30 matches). Forest are unbeaten in eight across all comps, too. He’s been a borderline elite chance creator this season who gets stuck into duels and works hard to recover the ball. Gibbs-White has already helped Forest get closer to focusing on the UEL, and he scored against Villa this year. Who’s to say Forest can’t outlast Villa and then beat Freiburg or Braga?

What’s next?

Forest host Aston Villa on Thursday in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semifinal tie, then visit Chelsea on Monday, May 4 in the Premier League.

Sunderland face relegated Wolves at the Molineux on Saturday, May 2.

Sunderland vs Nottingham Forest final score: 0-5

Trai Hume o.g. 17', Chris Wood 31', Morgan Gibbs-White 34', Igor Jesus 37', Elliot Anderson 90+5'

Sunderland vs Nottingham Forest live updates — by Nick Mendola

Elliot Anderson goal — Sunderland 0-5 Nottingham Forest

Taiwo Awoniyi is in the 18 and makes a quick reverse pass to Elliot Anderson, who deserves the goal.

Anderson makes it 5-0 for Forest v. Sunderland

Elliot Anderson slots home Nottingham Forest's fifth goal of the evening at the Stadium of Light to secure all three points against Sunderland.

Forest subs

Ryan Yates and Luca Netz enter the fray for Hutchinson and Jesus in the 67th minute.

Daniel Ballard goal DISALLOWED by VAR

Offside check is on after Sunderland appear to pull one back, and a foul check is also ongoing.

Granit Xhaka’s free kick is nodded back across goal by Nordi Mukiele and Dan Ballard bursts toward a floating ball to head home in the 60th minute.

After review, Mukiele gets a piece of Matz Sels before the keeper can get to the loose ball.

Subs at the break

Sunderland put Reinildo in for Chris Rigg, while Forest replace Ibrahim Sangare with Nicolas Dominguez.

Halftime — Sunderland 0-4 Nottingham Forest

At the moment, Forest look set to move very close to safety while Sunderland’s goal differential has sunk to minus-8 and their European hopes are being weakened considerably by this lopsided scoreline.

Igor Jesus goal — Sunderland 0-4 Nottingham Forest

Another set piece worked all the way onto the scoreboard.

This time it’s Igor Jesus getting credit for his work in snapping a pass home from the back post.

Jesus stuns Sunderland to put Forest up 4-0

Nottingham Forest are playing lights out in the first half at the Stadium of Light as his strike ripples the back of the net to make it three goals in six minutes for the visitors.

Morgan Gibbs-White goal — Sunderland 0-3 Nottingham Forest

Another short corner is spun to the back post.

Igor Jesus knocks it from the back post toward the spot with a header, and Gibbs-White snaps it through traffic and over the line.

Gibbs-White blasts Forest 3-0 ahead of Sunderland

The rout is officially on at the Stadium of Light as another Nottingham Forest set piece results in Morgan Gibbs-White firing his side 3-0 ahead of Sunderland in the first half.

Chris Wood goal — Sunderland 0-2 Nottingham Forest

Roefs makes a horrible decision with a short pass from the back, and Chris Wood gets a piece of it.

The ex-Newcastle man is then right there to get a pass from spoils collector Morgan Gibbs-White.

He dinks it past Roefs for 2-0.

Wood punishes Sunderland to double Forest's lead

It's a poor giveaway from Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs as he gifts Chris Wood Nottingham Forest's second goal of the first half at the Stadium of Light.

Trai Hume own goal — Sunderland 0-1 Nottingham Forest

Robin Roefs makes one big save but the play goes down and back and Forest win a corner.

Omari Hutchinson spins in a towering cross and Trai Hume follows Igor Jesus to the back post.

Jesus heads the ball back into the field of play from a tight angle and it clips Hume and turns back inside the post.

Very unlucky.

Hume's own goal gives Forest lead over Sunderland

Nottingham Forest find their breakthrough thanks to Trai Hume's own goal off Igor Jesus' header to make it 1-0 against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland lineup

Roefs, Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Hume, Xhaka, Sadiki, Diarra, Rigg, Le Fee, Brobbey

Nottingham Forest lineup

Sels, Williams, Cunha, Milenkovic, Aina, Sangare, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Hutchinson, Igor Jesus, Wood

Sunderland vs Nottingham Forest preview — by Andy Edwards

Vitor Pereira’s side has clawed its way to within a few points of safety by going unbeaten in their last five PL games (2W-3D-0L) while simultaneously reaching the semifinals of the Europa League, where they will face fellow PL side Aston Villa over two legs beginning next week. Before the unbeaten run began, Nottingham Forest sat 17th in the table, only above the relegation line by way of goal difference. Fast-forward six weeks, and the gap is now five points with five games left to play.

Sunderland achieved their top objective weeks and maybe even months ago: a second season in the top flight after eight years adrift in the Championship and League One. Regis Le Bris’ side was well positioned in the European race until the start of 2026 before they hit a rougher patch, but the hard work had been done and the Black Cats sit comfortably mid-table (11th) with 46 points and still an outside shot at qualifying for Europe if they finish the season well.

Sunderland team news, focus

OUT: Romaine Mundle (thigh), Simon Moore (wrist) | QUESTIONABLE: Omar Alderete (undisclosed), Bertrand Traore (knee), Nilson Angulo (undisclosed), Jocelin Ta Bi (ankle)

Nottingham Forest team news, focus

OUT: Callum Hudson-Odoi (thigh), Willy Boly (knee), Nicola Savona (knee), John Victor (knee) | QUESTIONABLE: Murillo (thigh), Dan Ndoye (knock)

Sunderland vs Nottingham Forest prediction

Forest already struggled to created enough scoring chances (fourth-fewest goals in the PL - 36 in 33 games) before winger Callum Hudson-Odoi was lost for the rest of the season. At the same time, Sunderland are a nightmare to play against and don’t give you any freebies, especially at home. Sunderland 1-0 Nottingham Forest.

How to watch Sunderland vs Nottingham Forest live, stream link and start time

Kick off time: 3pm ET Friday (April 24)

Venue: Stadium of Light — Sunderland

TV Channel: USA

Streaming: Watch on USA