Forest whip Wolves, close gap on EPL leaders Liverpool

Nuno Espirito Santo's men are tied on points with Arsenal, who are above them on goal difference.

The game took place on the 50th anniversary of Brian Clough's appointment at the City Ground, and the old maestro would have been thrilled to see his team get off to the perfect start with a goal after six minutes.

Former Wolves midfielder Gibbs-White combined on the counterattack with Anthony Elanga before stroking the ball into the bottom corner from 14 metres.

Both sides looked to play football and Wolves came into the game. However, Norwegian striker Jorgen Strand Larsen rued missing a couple of clear chances, and he was punished two minutes before halftime when Wood doubled the visitors' lead.

The big New Zealander put away Callum Hudson-Odoi's cut-back to grab his 12th goal of the season and his eighth in 13 league appearances against Wolves.

Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood (centre) scored his 12th goal of the season against Wolves. (AP PHOTO)

Forest dominated the second half and Wood's late replacement Awoniyi made it 3-0 in stoppage time.

The result set up a mouth-watering fixture between first and third next week, when Forest host Liverpool on January 14.

It also brought Forest's European dreams a tiny bit closer.

Wood said the squad's focus was keeping up the rich form that would make that happen for the first time since the 1990s.

"It is about consistency and doing what we have been doing extremely well already this season," he said.

"We're not giving up halfway through the season, we need to keep doing what we've been doing in the first 19 matches.''

The defeat was the first for recently appointed Wolves coach Vitor Pereira and left the side fourth from bottom.

Wolves defender Matt Doherty said it was a game where the result could have gone either way.

"Teams are ruthless,'' he said.

"You can't make mistakes, and we made a couple of them and we got punished."