Steve Cooper delighted as Nottingham Forest win first Premier League match in over two decades
- Seb Sternik
- 14 August 2022
Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper knew his team had to deliver in their first home top flight game in 23 years.
Cooper's side powered to a 1-0 victory over West Ham at the City Ground in the venue's first Premier League fixture since 1999.
Taiwo Awoniyi ensured the homecoming ended on a winning note as his first-half goal sealed a memorable victory.
The Forest fans had waited a long time for that moment and Cooper was aware of the importance.
"There were two things today, the occasion, the event of the first home game back in the Premier League, so important to so many people and we were never going to treat it as a normal game, it was more than that," he said.
"You could sense since we got promoted everyone was waiting for the first home game.
"We knew it was a very important day. We spoke about three generations of Forest supporters here today, one who remember the really good old days, a new generation who will be watching their first Premier League game and the ones in between.
"We had to represent all three of those today."
Having earned their first points of the new season, Forest will now turn their attention to Everton as they travel to Goodison Park next Saturday in search of their first away win.
