Nottingham Forest got the point they needed to secure European football as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Leicester City, but the result was a blow for their Champions League hopes.
Looking to build on an encouraging display in Monday night’s 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace, Forest made a positive start against the Foxes. Chris Wood had a couple of chances inside the opening five minutes but couldn’t quite find the target.
The Reds were left to rue not making the most of that early momentum as they fell behind in the 16th minute. Matz Sels had pushed away Bilal El Khannouss’ deflected effort from distance but Conor Coady was on hand to net the rebound.The hosts needed a response, and they got it 10 minutes later. Morgan Gibbs-White nodded in a clever header from an Anthony Elanga free-kick to make it 1-1 in the 26th minute.Nicolas Dominguez had a hat-trick of opportunities to give his side the lead, including drawing a save from Jakub Stolarczyk shortly after the interval. It was left to Wood to put Forest in front with 56 minutes played when he headed home a Gibbs-White ball in.
That should have been the Reds’ cue to kick on but instead the scores were level again with less than 10 minutes to play. A mix-up at the back allowed Facundo Buonanotte to take advantage and make it 2-2.
The result leaves Forest seventh in the Premier League table with two games to go. Here’s how Reds reporter Sarah Clapson rated the Forest players at the City Ground.Matz Sels: Any hopes of the Belgian taking another step towards the Golden Glove with a clean-sheet quickly went out of the window. Forest’s defending has dropped off somewhat lately, at the worst possible moment. Rating: 5.5/10
Ola Aina: Showed plenty of energy in trying to push forward when he could. Generally steady but this will go down as a very frustrating afternoon for the hosts. Rating: 6.5/10
Nikola Milenkovic: For much of this season, the Reds have been renowned for their solid defending. They had a few nervy moments in this one, though, not least for the two goals. Rating: 6/10
Morato: A big game for the centre-back but it turned into a tough afternoon as was caught out more than once. Forest must hope Murillo has not sustained anything serious as he was missed on the banks of the Trent. Rating: 5/10
Neco Williams: A passage of play in the second half summed up the Welshman. Refused to give up the cause and showed a dogged determination to win and retain possession. Always up for the fight. Rating: 7.5/10
Ibrahim Sangare: A class act in the centre of the pitch. Cool, calm and composed, and used the ball well. Must surely have cemented his place in the starting XI for the final two games. Rating: 8/10
Elliot Anderson: Took a little while to settle down and find his rhythm – perhaps a case of trying too hard. Got better as the game went on but this was certainly not a comfortable afternoon for the Reds. Rating: 7/10
Anthony Elanga: Looked up for it right from the off. Set the tone by setting up a Wood chance inside the opening five minutes. Lovely free-kick for Gibbs-White’s leveller. Rating: 8/10
Morgan Gibbs-White: Not necessarily his best all-round game but popped up with two moments of magic when his team needed him. Delightful headed equaliser and the ball in for Wood was simply exquisite. Rating: 7/10
Nicolas Dominguez: Just missing a goal to crown a superb performance. He almost managed it – had a hat-trick of opportunities to get on the scoresheet. Still, got a deserved standing ovation when he came off. Rating: 8/10
Chris Wood: Twentieth Premier League goal of the season for the New Zealander. Had missed a few chances before then, so hopefully putting his header away acts as a confidence booster. Rating: 7/10
Subs
Ryan Yates (for Dominguez, 74mins): The wrong change to make? Should Nuno have been more positive and brought on an attacker? That debate will live on. Rating: 6/10Taiwo Awoniyi (for Sangare, 83mins): Hurt himself at one point and there was a mix-up over whether he was going to come back on or not. Just about summed the afternoon up. Rating: 5.5/10
Jota Silva (for Anderson, 90mins): Didn’t really have time to make a difference. Was a big ask for him to force something in the dying minutes. Rating: 6/10
Subs not used: Miguel, Toffolo, Sosa, Danilo, Boly, Abbott.
