Nottingham Forest secured an FA Cup semi-final spot after a penalty shootout win over Brighton.
Nottingham Forest have secured a Wembley showdown against Manchester City later this month, fueling hopes that Nuno Espirito Santo can lead the club to silverware.
Forest booked their FA Cup semi-final spot with a penalty shootout win over Brighton, where Ryan Yates and Matz Sels emerged as the heroes. The match ended in a goalless draw after 120 minutes, with both sides cautious and unwilling to take risks.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s team selection caught many by surprise, including Stuart Pearce. The Forest boss made notable changes, leaving out Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga against Brighton. Speaking on TalkSPORT, Pearce admitted he was initially shocked but later acknowledged the decision paid off.
“When he left Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga out, it raised my eyebrows before the game, I will tell you that,” Pearce said. “I think he had one eye on Tuesday’s game. He’s keeping faith in a few, he’s mixing and matching a bit. The two flying machines they’ve got, you’d think they were set perfectly to play at Brighton, but he knows the squad better than us.”
With Hudson-Odoi and Elanga rested, Forest will have fresh attacking options for their upcoming clash against Manchester United. The duo has been lethal on the counter this season, and Espirito Santo appears to have strategically managed his squad with the bigger picture in mind. Now, with Chris Wood sidelined due to injury, the Reds will rely even more on their explosive wingers to cause problems for United.
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