European Super Football

Preview of Nottingham Forest’s 25/26 Premier League campaign Nuno Espírito Santo will be aiming to build on last season’s progress, although the added demands of European football may present a challenge. Author | Kieran M How can Forest improve on last season? Forest know they must improve in possession and take control of games, particularly once European competition begins. Playing twice a week is a gruelling schedule for a side set up to chase the ball and counter. Nuno Espírito Santo’s system has served him well before, but there is a sense that evolution is required to keep Forest competitive. Pre-season has hinted at a shift in approach, with the change warmly received inside the club. READ MORE |  How they missed out on Champions League football last season How has the club's pre season been? Not great. Seven friendlies brought just one goal and five goalless draws, hardly ideal preparation for building on last season’s progress. The problem has not been the creation o...

Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has signed a new three-year deal at the City Ground. The Portuguese guided the club to seventh in the league last season to qualify for Europe for the first time since 95/96. Author | Kieran M Nuno replaced Steve Cooper in December 2023 and kept Forest up, the club surviving on the final day of the 2023-24 season. They suffered a four-point deduction for breaching profit and sustainability rules but finished 17th. Last season, Nottingham Forest was the surprise package as they competed for Champions League spots, remaining in the top four for most of the campaign. However, they fell out of contention after winning only two of their last seven games, although they did qualify for the Europa Conference League play-off stage. The former Wolves and Tottenham head coach also led them to the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1991, where they were defeated 2-0 by Manchester City. Best reaction In a statement on Forest's website, the Forest bos...

Nottingham Forest 0 - 1 Chelsea Chelsea secured their place in next season’s Champions League with a narrow, hard-fought win at Nottingham Forest Author | Kieran M Stadium |  The City Ground The result confirmed a fourth-place finish for Enzo Maresca’s side and dashed any lingering hopes Forest had of qualifying for Europe’s premier competition. The decisive moment came five minutes after the break, when Levi Colwill bundled home from close range. It was enough to ensure Chelsea met the expectations set for them at the start of the campaign.  Maresca admitted afterwards that their summer transfer plans were shaped by which European competition they would be in. The win also provides timely momentum ahead of Chelsea’s appearance in the Europa Conference League final against Real Betis in Poland on Wednesday. For Forest, who battled to survive on the final day last season, this campaign represents significant progress. Despite falling short of a Champions League spot, sevent...

Nottingham Forest 0 - 2 Manchester City Manchester City beat Nottingham Forest to secure their place in a third consecutive FA Cup final , brushing aside their opponents with a display full of control and composure. Author -  Macca Stadium - Wembley Stadium While Pep Guardiola's side were booking another trip to Wembley, their grip on the Premier League title quietly slipped away. Liverpool’s win over Tottenham Hotspur confirmed them as champions , ending City's four-year dominance in the league. In the capital’s warm spring sunshine, City imposed themselves from the outset. With the odds stacked in their favour despite being outnumbered in the stands, they wasted little time asserting authority. Just two minutes in, Mateo Kovacic found Rico Lewis on the edge of the area, and the 20-year-old guided a low strike into the bottom corner to give City the lead. Forest struggled to gain a foothold in the first half, as City sensed further openings. Omar Marmoush combined well wit...

Nottingham Forest 0 - 1 Everton Abdoulaye Doucoure became Everton’s hero by scoring a last-minute goal, securing a 1-0 victory against Nottingham Forest at The City Ground and damaging their Champions League aspirations. Author - Sarah W Stadium - The City Ground The home side were on course for a potentially valuable point, Everton struck late to seal a dramatic win. With the match seemingly drifting towards a goalless draw, substitute Dwight McNeil produced a moment of quality, threading a precise pass through to Abdoulaye Doucouré. The midfielder made no mistake, calmly slotting past Matz Sels to give the visitors a vital victory. A closer look at what happened at the City Ground Forest have been one of the Premier League's surprise packages this season under Nuno Espírito Santo, making this home defeat all the more frustrating. The first half unfolded at a steady pace, with both sides struggling to find fluency in the intense heat. Forest goalkeeper Sels was called into act...

Aston Villa 2 - 1 Nottingham Forest Aston Villa boosted their hopes of Champions League qualification with a nervy 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest, surviving a spirited second-half comeback in an open and entertaining contest. Author - Kieran M Stadium - Villa Park Villa looked to be cruising after a blistering start at Villa Park. Morgan Rogers opened the scoring with a cool finish following a well-timed run, and just two minutes later Donyell Malen doubled the lead by steering home Ian Maatsen’s cross from close range. With less than 15 minutes played, Unai Emery’s side appeared in full control. To their credit, Forest recovered their composure after a disastrous opening and gradually worked their way back into the match. Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi both went close before the break as the visitors began to ask questions of the Villa defence. Forest’s improved tempo continued into the second half and they were rewarded when substitute Jota Silva turned smartly inside the ...

Nottingham Forest 1 - 8 Manchester United (February 1999) Do you remember when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored four goals in the last 11 minutes as United thrashed Forest? Author - Liam C Remember when United thrashed Forest 8-1 in February 1999? Highlights of that match here - youtu.be/HZg1D0nFWGg?... Visit eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com for a detailed throwback [image or embed] — Super News Affiliate ( @eurosuperfootball.bsky.social ) 1 April 2025 at 17:11 The visitors were already cruising to victory with two goals apiece from partners Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke when Solskjaer was sent on as a substitute. His first was a simple tap-in and three more goals followed as Forest's defence fell apart. Forest's veteran Dave Beasant made a series of good saves in the first half, but he was powerless as United registered the biggest away win since the Premiership's inception. This is a record that still stands today.  A closer look at what happened back in 1999 The first was ju...

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. Author - Kieran M Stadium - Amex Stadium 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 sav...

Ipswich 2 - 4 Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest strengthened their grip on the Premier League’s top four with a commanding victory over relegation-threatened Ipswich at Portman Road. Author - Marcus Stadium - Portman Road The result had moved Forest to within a point of second-placed Arsenal (before their win over Chelsea) and edges them ever closer to securing Champions League football next season. On the day Nuno Espírito Santo marked his 50th Premier League game in charge, his side ruthlessly exposed Ipswich’s defensive vulnerabilities in a devastating seven-minute spell during the first half. Nikola Milenković set Forest on their way, capitalising on a fortunate deflection to fire home from eight yards after Ipswich forward Liam Delap had inadvertently nodded the ball into his path. Barely two minutes later, the visitors doubled their lead as Ipswich crumbled. Elliot Anderson released Anthony Elanga down the right, and the Swedish winger was inexplicably allowed to charge un...

Nottingham Forest 1 - 1 Ipswich Town (Nottingham Forest won 5 - 4 on penalties) Nottingham Forest secured their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Ipswich Town, setting up a trip to Brighton in the last eight. Author - Josh T Stadium - City Ground Goalkeeper Matz Sels was the hero, saving Jack Taylor’s low effort as Forest triumphed 5-4 on penalties after Ryan Yates’ second-half equaliser had forced extra time. The visitors had taken the lead through George Hirst, but ultimately fell short on a night of fine margins at the City Ground. Watching from the stands was England manager Thomas Tuchel, who is preparing to name his first squad next week ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia. However, with the game slow to ignite until the second half, the new Three Lions boss may not have taken much away from the contest. Click here for more FA Cup news and stories from European Super Football Taylor’s missed spot-kick proved ...

Newcastle United 4 - 3 Nottingham Forest Alexander Isak netted his 50th Premier League goal as Newcastle United produced a blistering first-half display to overcome Nottingham Forest at St James’ Park. Author - Peter Grainger Stadium - St. James' Park Forest took an early lead when Callum Hudson-Odoi capitalised on a defensive slip, but Newcastle responded in devastating fashion, scoring four times in an electrifying 11-minute spell to take a commanding 4-1 lead into the break. Teenager Lewis Miley and Jacob Murphy struck in quick succession to turn the game on its head, before Isak bagged a rapid-fire brace to pile more misery on the visitors. His second – his 19th of the season – saw him reach the 50-goal milestone in just 76 Premier League appearances, a feat achieved quicker by only six players in the competition’s history. Forest did show some fight after the break, with Nikola Milenkovic pouncing on a defensive lapse to pull one back. Then, in the 90th minute, substitute...

Nottingham Forest 7 - 0 Brighton & Hove Albion Chris Wood hit a hat-trick as a ruthless Nottingham Forest scored seven against a woeful Brighton. Author - Kieran M Stadium - City Ground Forest corner against Brighton Nottingham Forest responded in emphatic fashion to last weekend’s humbling at Bournemouth, putting Brighton to the sword in a stunning 7-0 demolition at the City Ground. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side had seen their unbeaten run halted in brutal fashion at the Vitality Stadium, but they bounced back in the best possible way, recording their biggest-ever Premier League victory against a Brighton side that simply had no answer. Forest’s intent was clear from the off, and they were gifted an early lead when Lewis Dunk inadvertently diverted Morgan Gibbs-White’s low cross into his own net with just 12 minutes played . Gibbs-White then turned scorer, glancing a header into the far corner from Anthony Elanga’s pinpoint delivery, before Chris Wood made it 3-0 on the half-...

AFC Bournemouth 5 - 0 Nottingham Forest Bournemouth delivered a scintillating performance to extend their club-record unbeaten Premier League run to 11 games, dismantling high-flying Nottingham Forest 5-0 at the Vitality Stadium. Author - Katrine Jonnson  Stadium - Vitality Stadium Fresh from a stunning 4-1 victory over Newcastle United, the Cherries showed no signs of slowing down under Andoni Iraola, with Dango Ouattara stealing the show with a brilliant hat-trick. Forest, enjoying an impressive season in third place, were left shell-shocked as Bournemouth tore through their usually solid defence. Justin Kluivert set the tone early, scoring his 11th league goal in the ninth minute with a 25-yard strike after Forest’s defenders backed off. Any hopes of a Forest comeback were dashed in the second half when Bournemouth hit top gear. Ouattara headed in Kluivert’s pinpoint cross in the 55th minute and doubled his tally with a clinical finish six minutes later. The Cherries sh...

Wolves 0 - 3 Nottingham Forest Morgan Gibbs-White played a starring role as Nottingham Forest secured a clinical victory over Wolves, with new England manager Thomas Tuchel watching from the stands. Author -  Kieran M   The midfielder silenced the boos from the home crowd early on, scoring the opener just seven minutes in. Gibbs-White, who left Wolves for Forest in 2022, had the perfect response to his former club's jeers. Chris Wood doubled the lead just before half-time, notching his 12th goal of the season, while Taiwo Awoniyi sealed the win in stoppage time, finishing off a swift counter-attack. Wolves, however, had their opportunities. Joao Gomes and Jorgen Strand Larsen forced saves from Forest keeper Matz Sels, and Larsen was denied by a remarkable goal-line clearance from Murillo. This marked Forest’s 12th league victory of the season—three more than their total for the entire previous campaign. The win showcased the team’s key strengths, with opposition sides cont...

Everton 0 - 2 Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest capped off the year in style with a convincing win over a lacklustre Everton, climbing to second in the Premier League table. Author - Sarah W  Nuno Espirito Santo’s side continues to capture the imagination with their impressive performances, emerging as one of the season’s biggest surprises and threatening to shake up the established order at the top of the league. With Arsenal not playing until Wednesday, Forest’s victory at Goodison Park ensured they ended the day in second place, behind league leaders Liverpool, who stormed to a 5-0 win over West Ham to extend their lead to eight points. Chris Wood played a pivotal role in both of Forest’s goals, scoring his 11th league goal of the season with a sublime finish before setting up Morgan Gibbs-White for a composed second-half strike. Wood had already given Everton’s defence a couple of warnings—first with a long-range volley that went wide and then with a header over the ba...

Nottingham Forest 2 - 1 Aston Villa Anthony Elanga came off the bench to score a dramatic injury-time winner as Nottingham Forest turned a 1-0 deficit into a thrilling 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at the City Ground. Author - Craig H from GMCR Football  The Swedish forward struck in the third minute of stoppage time, threading the ball through Emiliano Martinez's legs to send Forest up to fourth in the Premier League table. Earlier, Villa’s Jhon Duran looked set to be the hero once again. Starting back-to-back Premier League games for the first time, the Colombian striker celebrated his 21st birthday in style, powering in a header for his 11th goal of the season. Forest thought they’d equalised when Chris Wood bundled the ball home, but the goal was ruled out for an offside in the build-up. Moments later, Nikola Milenkovic restored parity with a close-range header—his second goal in two games. With the City Ground crowd in full voice, Elanga capped the comeback with his first g...

 Manchester United 2 - 3 Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest capitalised on Manchester United’s defensive errors to secure their first win at Old Trafford in nearly 30 years. Author -  Liam Chadwick Rasmus Højlund cancelled out Nikola Milenković’s early opener, but Ruben Amorim’s side couldn’t draw level again after conceding twice in a seven-minute spell early in the second half. United goalkeeper André Onana was at fault for Forest’s second, misjudging Morgan Gibbs-White’s strike from the edge of the area. Expecting the ball to move towards his right, Onana was beaten on his left as the shot stayed true. The defensive woes continued when Chris Wood, celebrating his birthday, sent a looping header towards the far post. Neither Onana nor Matthijs de Ligt dealt with it, and Lisandro Martínez was slow to react as the ball nestled in the corner of the net. Premier League: 2024/2025 season Discover more news and stories from the weird and wonderful world of Manchester Unit...

Arsenal 3 - 0 Nottingham Forest Arsenal reignited their title push with a much-needed victory over Nottingham Forest, securing their first win in five Premier League games. The Gunners have struggled recently, hampered by a demanding fixture list and a spate of injuries, leaving them nine points adrift of league leaders Liverpool heading into Saturday’s match. Author - William G from GMCR Football From the first whistle at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal were in control. Bukayo Saka broke the deadlock after 15 minutes, playing a slick one-two with Martin Ødegaard before weaving past two defenders and rifling a shot into the top corner. Thomas Partey, introduced at half-time, made an immediate impact by curling in a superb effort from 20 yards to double the lead. Late on, teenager Ethan Nwaneri added gloss to the scoreline with a composed finish, wrapping up a comfortable win. Nottingham Forest, one of the season's surprise packages, came into the game level on points with Arsena...

Nottingham Forest 3 - 0 West Ham United Chris Wood continued his fantastic start to the season as Nottingham Forest claimed victory over West Ham in Saturday’s Premier League clash. Author - Craig H from GMCR Football  Forest entered the match as one of the Premier League’s standout teams. They have picked up an impressive 16 points from their first nine games, including results against both Liverpool and Chelsea. Wood’s form has been crucial to Forest’s strong run, and it was his close-range header that put the home side ahead at the City Ground. West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui deployed three centre-backs in an attempt to keep the New Zealand international in check, but Wood found himself unmarked and calmly nodded in Alex Moreno’s cross from six yards out, bringing his season’s goal tally to eight. Click here for more Premier League news and stories The visitors struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, and their challenge became even tougher just before half-time, a...

Chelsea 1 - 1 Nottingham Forest Chris Wood and Noni Madueke scored as Chelsea and Nottingham Forest played out a tactical and feisty draw at Stamford Bridge. Forest took the lead when 32-year-old striker Wood scored past Robert Sanchez in the 49th minute, following a well-executed set-piece involving James Ward-Prowse and Nikola Milenkovic. Forest were in dreamland but it didn't last. Chelsea responded quickly.  Madueke equalised eight minutes later after cutting in on his left foot and shooting, having had the beating of left-back Alex Moreno. Premier League: 2024/2025 season (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Injuries and suspensions to follow Midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White was forced to leave the pitch with an injury in the second half, casting serious doubt over his chances of playing for England this month. He limped off slowly, clearly in pain and visibly frustrated. Referee Chris Kavanagh showed Forest’s James Ward-Prowse a second yellow card, sending him off for deliberate...