Forest's remarkable double drive remains on course
FOREST ON FIRE: Elliot Anderson and Ryan Yates of Nottingham Forest and teammates celebrate following the team's victory in the penalty shootout during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest at Amex Stadium. Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
NOTTINGHAM Forest’s remarkable season has been accompanied by the anticipation that at some point their progress will stall. So far, though, there are no signs of any dropoff as they maintain hope of pulling off an unexpected double of Champions League qualification and FA Cup success.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will resume their Premier League campaign Tuesday when Manchester United visit the City Ground. And they will do so lifted by the success in having secured a place in the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 34 years after grittily overcoming an in-form Brighton side.
The effects of the gruelling quarter-final that required a penalty shoot-out to divide the teams after an uncompromising, if uninspiring, 120-minute stalemate will no doubt be felt when Forest face Ruben Amorim’s side. But the celebrations that followed Ryan Yates’s decisive spot-kick at the Amex Stadium suggested this is a club currently fuelled by belief and a determination to overcome challenges that would have appeared fanciful in August.
Victory against United would see Forest consolidate their hold on third place and open a nine-point gap to fifth, a day before most of the challengers for the Champions League places are in action, with Chelsea, currently fourth, set to face Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night. No matter how the midweek fixtures play out, Nuno’s side will have some breathing space ahead of the weekend visit to Aston Villa.
The dramatic nature of their weekend success will no doubt help drain fatigue from tired legs. Nuno’s team selection suggested the manager views the Champions League as the main target and it was telling that his side improved significantly following the introduction of the rested Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi around the hour mark.
The FA Cup, though, creates a different level of excitement that was evident in the aftermath of a third successive shoot-out success. Forest may not have cruised to Wembley, but there was no doubt about the significance of booking a date in north London.
“The first two rounds are always a difficult game but step by step before every game we progress and progress,” said Matz Sels, the Forest keeper who produced fine saves from Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez in the shoot-out that ensured teammate Neco Williams’ miss was quickly forgotten.
“We continue and the dream is now coming alive, we are playing in the semi-finals.”
They are there because they managed to contain and finally overcome a Brighton side with similarly lofty ambitions and one that has recovered impressively from the seven-goal mauling they received at the City Ground at the start of February. Forest’s effective defensive efforts limited their opponents to only a handful of chances and while the visitors were also unable to find a way through, they created the better opportunities and were ultimately rewarded for their resilience.
Nuno’s side have many qualities but high amongst those is a level of determination and commitment. Their approach was encapsulated by Ryan Yates, the captain, who dispatched the final penalty confidently despite knowing he would not be leading the team out at Wembley having earlier collected the yellow card that means he will be suspended for the game.
“It’s all part and parcel, the lads will hopefully win and it is what it is,” said the midfielder. “I feel like I had to take the lad down, take one for the team, but I’m just buzzing, just buzzing for the club, for supporters. You know, we haven't had loads of trips to Wembley in our recent history, and they deserve that more than anything. And we want to finish the season as strongly as possible, as well in the Premier League.
“We're on the home straight now, and we just really want to maintain our performance levels. We're so solid building from the back, and that's what we want to do, we want to carry on.”
Brighton have already demonstrated their capacity to recover from a setback and Lewis Dunk, the captain, admitted they will have to do so again, starting with Wednesday’s home meeting with Villa.
“It was a bit of a strange game, both teams probably weren’t at it like they usually are and we probably missed an opportunity there,” said Dunk. “We have nine big games to fight to get to Europe. It’s a massive disappointment but we have to look forward.”
Verbruggen 6; Hinshelwood 6, Van Hecke 8, Webster 7 (Dunk 9, 6), Estupinan 7; Baleba 6, Ayari 6 (Gomez 81,6); Minteh 6, Rutter 7 (Gruda 75,6), Mitoma 5 (Adingra 71,6); Welbeck 5 (Pedro 71, 6).
McGill, Cashin, O'Riley, Tasker.
Sels 6; Aina 9, Milenkovic 7, Murillo 7, Williams 7; Yates 7, Anderson 8; Dominguez 6 (Jota 95,6), Gibbs-White 6 (Morato 119), Danilo 5 (Hudson-Odoi 61, 6); Awoniyi 6 (Elanga 61, 7).
Miguel, Sangare, Toffolo, Moreno, Boly.
Peter Bankes 5
