Forest reach first FA Cup semi since 1991
Brighton & Hove Albion 0 - 0 Nottingham Forest.
Nottingham Forest won 4-3 on penalties.
Forest held their nerve in yet another FA Cup penalty shootout, edging past Brighton to book a place in the semi-finals for the first time since 1991.
Goalkeeper Matz Sels was the hero of the night, producing crucial saves to deny Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez as Forest triumphed 4-3 on spot-kicks after a goalless 120 minutes at the Amex Stadium.
In a match desperately lacking in quality, neither side could break the deadlock in normal time, with Brighton looking the more likely to snatch a late winner. Sels, however, had other ideas—his superb reaction save to deny a bullet header from Gomez in extra time kept Forest in the contest.
The hosts thought they had won it at the death when Joao Pedro bundled in Pervis Estupiñán’s delivery, but the goal was ruled out for offside, ensuring the tie would be settled from the spot.
After two pivotal saves from Sels, it fell to Forest captain Ryan Yates to fire his side into the last four, keeping their flawless penalty record intact after shootout victories over Exeter City and Ipswich in previous rounds.
A closer look at what was a fascinating two hours of FA Cup action
From the moment the first half played out with barely a clear-cut chance, a penalty shootout always felt like the inevitable conclusion.
Nottingham Forest certainly felt the absence of Chris Wood, their top scorer sidelined with a hip injury sustained on international duty with New Zealand.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s side thought they had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock in the 64th minute when referee Peter Bankes awarded them a penalty after ruling that Kaoru Mitoma had brought down Elliot Anderson in the box.
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But after a VAR check, Bankes reviewed the incident and overturned his decision, announcing via the Amex sound system that no foul had been committed, a decision met with roars of approval from the home crowd.
On the Forest bench, it was a very different reaction. Nuno and his coaching staff raged at the fourth official, furious at what they saw as a missed opportunity.
But more than an hour later, all that frustration turned to sheer elation as Ryan Yates buried the decisive spot-kick, sending the entire team sprinting towards the away end to celebrate with their jubilant travelling fans.
This can still be a successful season for Brighton
An FA Cup quarter-final at home could have been the perfect opportunity for Brighton to seek revenge after suffering a humiliating 7-0 defeat to Forest in the Premier League last month.
Since that heavy loss, Brighton, under the management of Fabian Hurzeler, had embarked on a seven-match winning streak.
However, in Saturday's match, Brighton struggled to create scoring chances and resorted to long-range shots in the first half, with Yasin Ayari, Carlos Baleba, and Estupiñán all coming close to scoring.
Hurzeler and his team must quickly move past this disappointment as they continue their pursuit of Champions League football for next season. They face Aston Villa on Wednesday. This could still be a remarkable season for them.
