Italian defender names Newcastle star as most impressive Premier League opponent

During his interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Nottingham Forest defender Nicolò Savona said that Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon is the most impressive Premier League opponent he’s faced in England so far.

Italian defender Savona named the most impressive Premier League opponent he’s faced with Nottingham Forest so far in 2025-26.

“Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon; he’s skilful and lightning-fast in his first steps,” he said.

“After Christmas, I’ll face Haaland again. We crossed paths when I was with Juventus at the Club World Cup: on December 27, we play Manchester City.”

Savona didn’t only face Manchester City’s Haaland during the Club World Cup, but also had the worst in a challenge with the Norway international, which forced him to the sidelines for several weeks.

Savona joined Forest on a permanent transfer from Juventus last summer, following Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz.

The Brazilian struggled to make an impact during his year at the Allianz Stadium, though Savona remains uncertain about why his stint in Turin failed to succeed.

“I’m not sure. He’s a very strong midfielder,” he said.

“It’s great to play with Douglas; we have a good relationship. Forest deserve better than our current position in the standings, and we’ve started to show it.

“After the draw against Manchester United, we beat Leeds, and in between, there was a 0-0 draw away to Sturm Graz in the Europa League. We’re on the right path, and thanks to the incredible bond between the team and the fans, we’ll keep climbing after the break.”

During the same interview, Savona recommended a move to the Premier League to his former Juventus teammate Kenan Yildiz but also wished good luck to Juventus for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign.