Southampton vs Nottingham Forest: What Ivan Juric said after Onuachu’s first EPL goal

Super Eagles Paul Onuachu recently scored his first English Premier League goal, 658 days after joining Southampton

Southampton manager Ivan Jurić has expressed confidence in Paul Onuachu’s abilities after the Nigerian striker scored his first Premier League goal for Southampton, Soccernet.ng reports.

The towering Nigerian finally broke his goal drought in the English top flight, netting his debut Premier League goal in the dying moments of the match. However, it was not enough to secure victory or a point for the Saints.

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Despite the 3-2 defeat, Jurić revealed that the Super Eagles forward has much to offer the struggling Southampton side.

“I think Paul has quality,” Jurić said in his post-match comments. “He wants to score, he is a fighter. This is the quality, and I want players with quality. I think Paul can give us a lot.”

Onuachu’s header from a Mateus Fernandes cross handed hope to the visitors, but it wasn’t enough to salvage points for the Saints.

Onuachu, who joined Southampton in January 2023, had endured a tough spell with the club, failing to find the net in his earlier appearances.

After a season-long loan at Trabzonspor, where he scored 17 goals and provided four assists, Onuachu returned to Southampton looking to prove himself.

Nottingham Forest v Southampton Premier League Paul Onuachu of Southampton scores his sides second goal during the Premier League match at the City Ground [Photo credit/Imago]
His first Premier League goal comes 658 days after making his debut against Brentford, but it arrives at a critical time for the Saints, who are rooted in the relegation zone with just six points from 22 games.

The Saints remain in dire need of points as they continue to fight for survival, and Onuachu will hope to build on this momentum to help the team avoid a relegation.

This post was last modified on January 19, 2025 7:19 pm

Ayomide Oguntimehin

Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and Editor at Soccernet.ng, with a proven track record in conducting interviews with Super Eagles stars such as William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ademola Lookman, and many others. He has also made a significant impact in breaking transfer news stories. Grounded in video editing, video journalism, social media management, and content strategy, Ayomide brings a wealth of expertise to his work.

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