A brace from Anthony Elanga helped Nottingham Forest secure a commanding 4-2 victory over Ipswich Town, extending their advantage over Manchester City to six points in the race for Champions League qualification.

Fresh from their dramatic late win over City last Saturday, Forest delivered another emphatic performance at Portman Road, effectively settling the contest with three goals in a six-minute spell before half-time.

Nikola Milenković broke the deadlock in the 35th minute before Elanga capitalised on defensive lapses to score twice, taking his season tally to five goals. Substitute Jota Silva added a late fourth, while Jens Cajuste and George Hirst netted consolations for Ipswich. However, the defeat leaves the Suffolk club nine points adrift of safety after relegation rivals Wolves secured a crucial win at Southampton.

Forest Take Full Control After Ipswich's Defensive Errors

Eager to claim a third victory over Ipswich this season following a recent FA Cup triumph, Forest initially had to weather early pressure from the hosts. Omari Hutchinson threatened with a free-kick and a curling effort over the bar, while Julio Enciso saw a deflected shot miss the target.

However, Forest gradually asserted themselves, taking advantage of Ipswich’s defensive frailties. A misplaced pass from Leif Davis gifted Elliot Anderson an opportunity, but his shot deflected wide off Chris Wood. Moments later, a Callum Hudson-Odoi cross almost crept into the net.

Ipswich’s concentration lapses have been a recurring issue this season, and another costly mistake led to Forest’s opener in the 35th minute. Alex Palmer’s clearance rebounded off Cajuste to concede an unnecessary corner. Though Ipswich initially cleared the delivery, Liam Delap failed to deal with Nicolás Domínguez’s knock-down from a Hudson-Odoi cross, allowing Milenković to fire home.

That goal triggered a defensive collapse from Ipswich, as Forest doubled their lead just two minutes later. Anderson won possession and released Elanga, who raced down the right before cutting inside Jacob Greaves and curling a fine strike into the bottom corner.

Ipswich’s woes deepened before half-time when a simple lofted pass from Milenković bypassed their defence entirely, allowing Elanga to sprint through and slot past Palmer in the 41st minute. Boos rang out from the home supporters as the teams headed into the break.

Ipswich Rally but Forest Remain Clinical

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna responded by withdrawing Greaves at half-time, and the hosts showed more intent after the restart. A dangerous corner from Davis forced Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels into action, while an unmarked Delap squandered a headed chance from another set-piece.

The pressure continued to mount as Davis fired wide, and Delap saw a lobbed effort cleared off the line by Milenković.

Despite Ipswich’s efforts, Forest remained a potent threat on the counter-attack. Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White both wasted good opportunities before Cajuste finally pulled one back for the hosts in the 82nd minute, curling in a well-placed effort from 20 yards.

However, any hopes of a late comeback were swiftly quashed when Forest executed a slick counter-attack, with Gibbs-White setting up Silva to make it 4-1. Hirst nodded in a stoppage-time header from a Dara O’Shea cross for Ipswich, but it was merely a consolation on a disappointing afternoon for the home side.

Forest now strengthen their grip on a Champions League spot, while Ipswich’s survival hopes continue to dwindle.