Leicester 1-3 Nottingham Forest: Chris Wood bags stunning brace to seal all three points in a nightmare reunion for Foxes boss Steve Cooper against his former club

Who can blame Evangelos Marinakis if he ends a pleasant evening by chugging a drink at a festive Cuban?

The Nottingham Forest owner is currently banned from Premier League stadiums after it was ruled he had deliberately spat on the floor as referees walked past after Forest were beaten at home by Fulham. Marinakis’ defense – that he was suffering from a hacking cough, partly caused by his fondness for cigars – did not resonate with the independent panel.

Forest have been liked and this result will make Marinakis feel a lot better. His club are fifth in the Premier League tonight and to make things even sweeter, they beat a Leicester side now managed by Steve Cooper.

Cooper led Forest back to the top for the first time this century and is one of their best-loved managers since Brian Clough. Whether Marinakis and Cooper feel this way about each other is open to debate. Leicester fans are certainly not yet convinced of Cooper and there were full-time boos.

Leicester had their moments here, but Forest looked a more powerful, more talented side. They took the lead through Ryan Yates and although Jamie Vardy had Cooper’s men level at half-time, the Foxes made too many basic errors and Chris Wood took advantage. The Forest striker scored twice after the restart and the visiting fans piled on chanting Cooper’s pain.

The 32-year-old produced a stunning shot on the turn to stun the Foxes at the King Power Stadium

With the victory, Nottingham Forest rises to fifth place in the Premier League

Nuno Espirito Santo served the second game of a three-match ban, while Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was given a five-match stadium penalty after two games.

Forest fans told the Premier League exactly what they thought of these penalties by expressing their anger at the governing body just before kick-off.

To build on the recent momentum, Cooper picked a very attacking team and the Foxes attempted to play in Forest’s half. Facundo Buonanotte’s shot from outside the penalty area hit Murillo and flew wide for a corner. Wilfred Ndidi headed Vardy’s cross too high as Leicester pressed on.

But just as they found a nice pace, Leicester fell behind. As he tried to dribble out of his own area, Buonanotte was dispossessed and when Elliot Anderson’s shot was blocked into the path of James Justin, he could only clear as far as Yates. Yates’ goal from 25 yards was true, beating Hermansen’s dive and finding the bottom corner.

To their credit, Leicester kept playing, with Buonanotte, Harry Winks and the recalled Ricardo Pereira forming a creative triangle in the middle. Winks took a pass from Pereira and charged forward, eventually regaining the ball deep in the wooded area. As he pushed across goal, Vardy had drifted between Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo and a piece of his right boot guided the ball home.

Then Hermansen took over. His save from Nicolas Dominguez, who fired the ball home from close range, was one of the best of the season. No wonder the Dane celebrated like a striker, or that several teammates rushed to congratulate him.

Hermansen was not satisfied with that, but Hermansen did well to push away a bouncing ball and deflect a cross from the dangerous Anthony Elanga. Leicester looked vulnerable to Forest’s quick counter-attacks and needed Hermansen to save them again when Callum Hudson-Odoi drifted in from the left and let fly.

Back came Leicester. Super dexterity from Buonanotte created a heading opportunity for Stephy Mavididi, which he did not use. In injury time of the first half, Mavididi almost made up for it with a swerve from twenty meters.

Just before the second half started, Leicester substitute Conor Coady was spotted chatting animatedly with Cooper on the touchline. Perhaps he was talking about the mistakes that made Leicester look so vulnerable at times.

Jamie Vardy scored his fourth goal of the season to get the Foxes back into the game

Steve Cooper enjoyed a nightmare reunion with his former side at the King Power Stadium

Unfortunately for the home team, another goal followed just 100 seconds after the restart. Wink’s lazy pass caught Abdul Fatawu on his heels and was intercepted by Alex Moreno. When Anderson found Wood, Caleb Okoli gave Forest’s top scorer far too much space to turn and fire into the corner from 15 yards.

Leicester claimed a penalty shortly afterwards for Milenkovic’s slight tug on Vardy, but their pleas were ignored.

Forest should have wrapped it up when, after another Leicester move failed halfway, Hudson-Odoi hit the post and Anderson put the rebound wide from 18 yards.

However, the visitors did not have to wait long to secure the match. Matz Sels kicked the ball forward and after more madness at the Leicester back, Wood waited for Wout Faes’ headed attempt to Hermansen and calmly guided the ball over the Leicester keeper for the decisive factor.

It could have been even worse for the home side when, after more precarious defending at a corner, Yates skied in from three yards.