Super Eagles stars Taiwo Awoniyi and Ola Aina have escaped relegation from the Premier League following their 2-1 win over Burnley at Turf Moor in the final game of the season, Soccernet.ng reports.
Coach Nuno Espirito Santo left Nigerian stars Awoniyi and Aina on the bench when they traveled to Turf Moor for their final game of the season.
Before the final game, Nottingham Forest were just three points above Luton Town but with a far healthier goal difference. In fact, it would have taken a twelve-goal swing for Luton and a Forest loss to Burnley for them to go down.
However, before Burnley could get their acts together, Nottingham Forest put two past them courtesy of Chris Wood.
The Tricky Trees took that lead into the break. Then, Josh Cullen pulled one back for Burnley in the 72nd minute to set it up for a frenetic end.
However, Luton, who were hoping that a miracle would happen in their favour, were already down 4-2, meaning that Forest were comfortably safe.
Eventually, it ended 2-1 for Nottingham Forest, sealing their place in the Premier League for next season. Awoniyi was introduced for Chris Wood in the 79th minute, but he failed to score. Meanwhile, Aina sat out the fixture.
What next for Awoniyi and Aina
Aina's future seems settled already, as there are talks that Nottingham Forest want to hand him a contract extension after a decent first season. However, Awoniyi could be on his way out, with West Ham touted as a potential destination. But they could be skeptical about signing him because of his poor injury record since he joined Nottingham Forest.
