Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest played Bournemouth in their opening Premier League game of this season - what was the final score and who found the net?

Answer will be revealed at 17:00 GMT

"Consistency is going to be key" for Nottingham Forest securing European football next season, says BBC Radio Nottingham's Colin Fray.

Speaking on the latest episode of Shut Up And Show More Football about the tightening race for the European football spots, Fray said: "Inconsistency is why things are bunching up. It is why Forest are among those teams as well.

"They are very inconsistent at the moment and that is why you now have this situation where there are six points between third and 10th. That is going to be a monumental scrap for European places.

"Forest have put themselves into a very good place and if they can find some consistency over the remaining 11 games they have got then they may well get European football. But, if they have consistency in the other direction, then they may well miss out on European football because things are so tight.

"There are 10 teams there. Now, how many places there are going to be for European football remains to be seen, there might be seven or eight next season, and even if that is the case then there are going to be a couple of teams who miss out.

"From Nuno [Espirito Santo] and Nottingham Forest's perspective, consistency starts with keeping clean sheets and that is why Nuno was so happy with getting back to basics and keeping a clean sheet against an injury depleted, but still dangerous, Arsenal.

"If they can get some consistency then Europe is still there for them."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Nottingham Forest midfielder Ryan Yates says the "biggest positive" from their draw with Arsenal was the clean sheet.

Speaking to BBC Radio Nottingham's Colin Fray after the game Yates said: "It's a good point - I wouldn't say it's a brilliant point.

"We want to win, especially at home but we'll take the point and the clean sheet more than anything - I think that's the biggest positive.

"Defensively from [Chris] Wood up top to [Matz] Sels in goal, I think we were a bit more compact, we knew they would have a lot of the ball and it was about being disciplined and tight and compact. It was a bit different to how we've been recently but that's how we got the clean sheet."

"It was going to be tough to break them down with a lot of sustained pressure. My job was to crash the box when I could, make it difficult and try and make something happen. The ball dropped to us a couple of times but we just couldn't get it in - but that's part and parcel, they probably had the better chances but we'll take the clean sheet.

"The main thing was to get back and be really resolute and not give away too many goal scoring opportunities - we limited them to a couple and that's top work from the manager and everyone buying into the process."

The 27-year-old was brought off the bench in the second half, and speaking about the importance of substitutes making an impact, he said: "I've been on the bench a few times, I know what it's like - especially in the Premier League.

"You've got to be straight on it and get yourself mentally prepared more than anything when watching the game and try and work out where you can make an impact on the game as much as possible."

Listen to the interview on BBC Sounds

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As we approach the crunch stage of the 2024-25 Premier League season, it only feels right to address what would be a good outcome for Nottingham Forest from here onwards and what my biggest fear for Nuno Espirito Santo's side is too.

Nottingham Forest have now been dragged into the race for the top five, whereas for a long time it felt like they were on an equal playing field to Arsenal and in the title race.

The good thing is that they are still very much in control of their destiny, but they have also shown signs in recent weeks that their defensive solidity isn't as strong as what it has been.

The draw against Arsenal is a big deal, but this is all new territory for them and therefore the best outcome would be that they continue to play their football. Chris Wood adding to his already decent numbers for this season and continuing to raise the energy in the City Ground will all help in qualifying for European football.

And Champions League qualification would be fully deserved.

But going further, they can still finish second, and of course that would be the best scenario of a finish for them.

Equally, my biggest fear is that they qualify for a Europe but drop several positions at the same time.

Forest will inevitably celebrate a place in any European competition, but if it is not the Champions League because they have dropped down the table then it is almost bitter-sweet.

Thankfully, there are not many teams that are playing better than Forest at the minute so there is no reason to believe that they won't be in the top four.

And if they do earn a spot in Europe's biggest competition next season then they deserve the right to absolutely celebrate their achievements this season, especially given their recent history.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Saveena Johal
Fan writer

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BBC Sport asked Forest fan Saveena Johal a few questions about successes, hopes and fears...

What would be success from here?

There is a sense that something good can happen, thanks to an almost surreal season so far.

Given our current position, our campaign can and should be topped off with a Champions League place. Having finished previous seasons just above the relegation zone, we seem to have comfortably embedded ourselves in the Premier League now and, hopefully, thereafter.

Every club strives to earn a spot in the Champions League, not least progress in it, and for us this feels like a success within reach. Since the formation of the Premier League, every team that has stood at third place at this point in the season has finished within the top five. So it's definitely something we should be looking ahead to.

Can you explain your one hope and one fear for the rest of the season?

I'm hopeful that we will qualify for Champions League football. With just 11 league fixtures remaining, and many of the tough ones well dealt with, our chances of securing European football are high.

With the hopeful addition of a fifth place spot for an English team, this could also work in our favour should we need it. The idea of reviving the glory days is exciting.

The only fear would be Forest not qualifying for European football in any capacity. This would clearly be a great shame, given how well the season is progressing, but equally it feels like a fortunate predicament to find ourselves in. Our chances of European football at the forefront, as opposed to a relegation battle.

While fans of other clubs seem confident we'll prosper, perhaps it's the typical mentality of a Forest fan to not be overly optimistic as the occasional dread sets in. Points-wise, it's still tight at the top so these next few weeks will be telling.

However, a decent run in and the fight we've shown in the last couple of games will hopefully be enough to squash any doubts.

Find more from Saveena Johal at Punjabi Forest, external

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Nottingham Forest love having the "underdog mentality", says former striker Robert Earnshaw.

Having lost their past two Premier League games, Forest halted the recent slide with a well earned point against second-placed Arsenal on Wednesday night.

The result kept them third in the table, one point above Manchester City, and still on course for European football next season.

"It was an excellent draw, because you've got to have the bigger context, the bigger picture. Nottingham Forest are fighting for Champions League now and fighting for the title," Earnshaw told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.

"They will give chances to the other team, but they love this underdog mentality.

"They kind of play on the fast break a little bit and transition where they'll sit back and then just hit you with their pace and their finishing. Chris Wood had a couple of little moments [against Arsenal] where you thought, 'oh, this is it'.

"I was there for the Liverpool game a few weeks ago, at the City Ground, and you always feel like Forest will have the chance. It's just whether they can take it and, to be honest, nine times out of ten, they take it. Last night, it just wasn't to be.

"They will take that [point] and the Forest fans will take that. They understand the position that they're in, they understand where Arsenal are.

"Any more points as they go towards the end of the season now, it just takes them further and further into that Champions League spot. It just makes it stronger."

Listen back on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your views on Nottingham Forest's Premier League match against Arsenal.

Here are some of your comments:

Forest fans

Luke: I think a few of the lads are off the boil compared to earlier in the season, which is understandable. So it's good to stop the rot and get another point on the board, especially with a clean sheet. Hoping that Nuno can get us back to our best for the run-in, and we can keep our fate in our own hands.

Doug: A good game for Forest - it was very important not to lose. We were solid at the back, but a bit sloppy with our passes in transition going forward. Could have nicked it at the end. Well done you Reds.

Pip: Back to the solid defensive displays we've been seeing this season, after a few games where that seemed to have slipped. Ryan Yates and Danilo made a difference in midfield when they came on. We need to keep focused on the style of play that has got us this far if we want to be in Europe next season.

Arsenal fans

James: Great performance from Arsenal with loads of energy. Dominated possession, shots, corners etc. If just one forward was available, then they'd have won this game.

David: Pathetic. A must-win game and Arsenal players barely get out of a walk. Turgid. No tempo. No chances created. Does Mikel Arteta think this is good enough? Top four at best now. Something is clearly wrong with recruitment at the club when everyone who follows football knows what is missing.

Matt: A point away at Forest, where Arsenal have lost before, to remain above Forest, would usually be seen as good.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Boss Nuno Espirito Santo believes Nottingham Forest rediscovered their best qualities in their battling draw with Arsenal.

Forest remain third and six points behind the Gunners after Wednesday's 0-0 draw at the City Ground.

It came after they conceded eight goals in their last three games, including Sunday's 4-3 defeat at Newcastle.

Arsenal dominated possession and forced Forest to defended for long spells in the City Ground's first 0-0 draw in the Premier League since 1998.

"The most important thing was to realise how we do things, how we play and our strengths. Today it was there," said Nuno.

"We were compact and didn't allow Arsenal too much. Arsenal had chances, of course, because they are a very good team. But at the same time, we were compact, solid and aggressive.

"Maybe we could have found better transition points but it is always difficult. The positive is the clean sheet and, more than anything, finding ourselves as a team again with the way we do things.

"In the last moments of the game, we were the team getting the set-pieces and the dangerous momentum. That is a positive, also."

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Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo, speaking to BBC Sport: "I'm very happy with the way we did things, the way we played against Arsenal.

"It's very difficult to play against them. They're a very good team. It requires a lot of effort. We were solid and compact. Very positive game.

"After this period we had conceding it was important to go back to basics - solid, clean sheet. We had a couple of moments to do it better. But in terms of the game, positive because it was very important to go back to the team we are that allows us to be successful.

"They have danger all over the place. Set-pieces are some of them. It requires focus. The boys did well. We prepared it.

"This is one of the main messages, more than anything, the feeling of being a team that don't concede too many chances, always in the right places, organised, balanced. Going forward we have talent.

"Our fans have been amazing for us. Today again. No legs but they give us the extra run to the players. Can't thank them enough. We have to enjoy the journey and realise it's not always possible to go with a victory. They saw a good team a team who competed very well."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Forest's performance

What did you make of Arsenal's display?

Come back to this page on Thursday to find a selection of your replies

Five matches make up Wednesday's Premier League action

• Brentford v Everton

• Man Utd v Ipswich

• Nottingham Forest v Arsenal

• Tottenham v Man City

• Liverpool v Newcastle (20:15)

All kick-off times 19:30 GMT unless stated

Follow all the action and reaction here

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Football fans want to see the "status quo challenged" as Nottingham Forest try and secure European football, says supporter Ben Marshall.

The Reds have gone from a relegation fight last season to the top three of the Premier League, three points clear of Manchester City in fifth. However, that spot could be enough to secure Champions League football next campaign with England leading Uefa's coefficient table for an additional place.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side host Arsenal on Wednesday night as they look to strengthen their position in the race for European football.

"We are still in the pinching ourselves phase," Marshall told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast. "To have gone from being in relegation scraps for the last couple of years, to be even contemplating the possibility of European football, let alone Champions League football is surreal.

"I think the whole city is still in a bit of shock, but all enjoying it while we can. Football is game of fine margins and we know it can change very quickly. The performances have been worthy of the European places, so we just hope we can get it over the line.

"In the bigger picture of football, it is great to see teams who are not part of the 'big six' doing well. There is a lot of people who would just like to see the status quo challenged. It is good for football and it gives people hope that their team might go on to succeed and compete at the very top of English football.

"There is a real belief we can be in Europe next season. I have preemptively cleared my diary for Thursdays next season."

Saturday's home defeat by West Ham was a real hammer blow for Arsenal's title hopes.

They need to bounce back and find a way of beating Nottingham Forest, but this is a tough trip after such a devastating result, and I am not so sure they will take the points here either.

Forest are not in great form themselves, and got a bit of a walloping at Newcastle. Nuno Espirito Santo was clearly unhappy with some of his side's defending in that game.

But how are Arsenal going to score goals? I don't know at the moment.

If Gunners boss Mikel Arteta needs a left-back, he has got a few of them on the bench. Unfortunately he needs a centre-forward, and there is not one of those to be seen.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Former Nottingham Forest boss Billy Davies says Reds fans should get their "passports ready" for European football next season.

Davies had two spells at Forest boss more than a decade ago, having previously guided their fierce East Midlands rivals Derby County to promotion to the Premier League.

The 60-year-old got Forest to the Championship play-offs twice in his first stint at the City Ground, with his second spell ending after a 5-0 defeat by Derby which left the Reds sitting just outside the top six in March 2014.

Now more than a decade on, Forest are in their third successive season back in the Premier League, and have been transformed from relegation battlers to European hopefuls under boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

Despite three defeats in their past four league games, the Reds remain third in the table and in the hunt for a return to European football for the first time in almost three decades.

"Forest fans, enjoy it and get your European passports ready," Davies told BBC East Midlands Today.

"Nuno has come in and done a great job. We have now seen the benefit of the £400m spent and wonderful support from the owner."

Davies was back in Nottingham earlier this month for an 'evening with' show that included former members of his backroom staff, as well players who featured under him at Forest – including Wes Morgan and Lee Camp.

BBC East Midlands Today also spoke to a number of fans about their memories of the Scot and his time with Forest.

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Arsenal won this fixture 2-1 last season, but have not won consecutive away league games against Nottingham Forest since a run of four between 1987 and 1990.

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport journalist

Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Premier League game against Arsenal (kick-off 19:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Nuno confirmed that there are a few players carrying knocks that will need to be assessed before Wednesday evening's match but didn't disclose who.

• He said three defeats in the last four Premier League games is simply "the reality of the game" and all part of the club's journey.

• On the recent good form at home and whether they can take confidence from that going into the Arsenal game: "I hope so. We hope that the City Ground helps us because we need all the help that we can get against such a tough opponent. We hope the City Ground can give us the energy and atmosphere."

• When asked about finishing above Arsenal, Nuno said that the team's ambition is to simply "be better than in previous games."

• He dismissed a question on whether Forest are in the title race, stating: "We chase the next game, that is all that is on our minds. We want to chase everything that we want to achieve."

• Finally, on what he has learned about the side in adversity: "We react better than before. We didn't react to a tough time at Bournemouth but we reacted well against Newcastle. We were able to revert the momentum of the game. That was positive but not enough."

Follow all of Tuesday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news.

Pat Riddell
Fan writer

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The question Nottingham Forest haven't really faced this season is: how do they progress? Given that the Reds still remain third in the Premier League, it's not an issue they've had to address.

But Sunday's first-half performance against Newcastle United, following away losses at Bournemouth and Fulham, suggest that long-term there is a fundamental problem they must face.

Soaking up pressure, drawing the opposition in, and hitting teams on the break has served Forest very well in the Premier League. In reality, it's part of the club's DNA going back decades.

Forest's away form in the early part of the season - and they still maintain one of the best away records in the division - is what propelled them to the heady heights they find themselves in at the moment.

However, meek performances at Manchester City, Arsenal and now Fulham and Newcastle in recent weeks prove the growing pains that we inevitably had to deal with.

Nuno, of course, will no doubt have a plan for the summer and pragmatism remains all-important for clubs seeking to break into the top six. Some questions aren't answered easily.

And maybe the answer isn't necessarily dominating the ball: Liverpool comfortably beat Manchester City on Sunday with just 34% possession. Perhaps that era is in flux and Forest's usual defensive solidity and focus on quick transition doesn't need too much tweaking.

But giving up possession too easily definitely seemed counterintuitive on Sunday - leading to an unforgivable first-half 11-minute disaster - and imposing ourselves on the game definitely seems something our talented squad have proven to be capable of. The second-half performance certainly offered a glimpse of the Forest we've been used to this season.

For now, we know that our home form - combined with that inimitable atmosphere and a little bit of confidence - makes Wednesday's all-important game against Arsenal that little bit less daunting.

Find more from Pat Riddell at The Famous Club, external

Newcastle may have fallen over the line in seeing off Nottingham Forest but their endeavour during the win was noteworthy.

The Magpies clocked 109.6km of running as a team compared to 103.47km for Forest.

Furthermore, the Magpies produced 173 sprints, with Forest on 35 fewer.

Are Nuno Espirito Santo's side running out of steam given their superb season so far? Or are Eddie Howe's side finding that extra bit of hustle at the business end of the campaign?

Bruno Guimaraes (11.7km) and Lewis Miley (11.2km) broke the 11km barrier, with no Forest player doing so.

Left-back Lewis Hall was the busiest player on the day with a game-high 96 touches. He completed 89% of his passes, including an impressive 92% of passes he attempted in the final third.

No player had more duels than Hall's 17 and the former Chelsea player won 11 of them. Hall created three chances on the day, with only Forest's Chris Wood reaching the same figure.

You've heard the cliche - now we can show it.

The above graphic, newly available via the Match Stats tab on every Premier League match report, demonstrates starkly how the pendulum swung in Sunday's ding-dong game between Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.

Essentially, the visual represents every minute of the game and shows the likelihood each team had of scoring in that moment of the match.

The more likely a goal for a team, the bigger the bar.

So in the first half, the glut of yellow bars represents just how dominant Newcastle were, obviously having four goals to show for it.

However, after the break, back came Forest, and the swathe of white demonstrates their pressure on the Newcastle goal and just how close they came to getting back on terms.

To get into the weeds of how it works, check out our full explainer here and make sure to keep an eye out on every game your team plays in the Premier League from now on.

• Not a Newcastle fan? Find and follow your team's page here

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We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.

Here are some of your comments:

Newcastle fans

Anth: Elation, frustration, stress and then panic left me in an emotional puddle! From Mount Everest to the ocean floor! A game of two halves just doesn't do that justice. I'm grateful for the three points and loved the first half but I had to borrow fingernails at the end as the second half screeched towards its inevitable excruciating conclusion. Liverpool looming fills me with not a little trepidation!

Tony: Howe says we are at our best when we play free-flowing, attacking football and that's what we did in the first half and blew Forest away, we were unplayable. Second half was abysmal and we let Forest get a foothold, get back into the game and get hope. This side is either brilliant or awful with no in between.

Davy: Three valuable points and back to winning ways. However, lots still to be concerned about. Sloppy passing throughout and constantly losing possession. Made what should have been an easy victory into a difficult one. Three points though and a magnificent performance from Lewis Hall.

Mark: The defensive implosion, not just in this game but in recent games in general, has been very worrying. That's seven conceded in our past two in the league, or 14 in the last five. That's not going to get us Champions League football, no matter what Alexander Isak does at the other end. No game has better summed up just how devastating we can be, both to ourselves and opponents.

Forest fans

Brian: Obviously we were awful in the first half. Sloppy and gave the ball away far too much. Newcastle deserved to be three goals ahead. Second half we were a different team. Could even have won if we'd been more clinical. Callum Hudson-Odoi, Elliot Anderson and Ola Aina were brilliant. Might be looking through rose-tinted but if we play like we did in the second half, we can beat Arsenal and Manchester City.

John: Forest can't give away four goals like that in half an hour and remain credible in a high position. Shades of the Bournemouth defeat. We managed three but were chasing the game and must sort the defence out as dropping Morato weakened us. Geordies' day, not ours…

Jamie: Momentum killed by that poor free-kick decision, and then we panicked and had everything go their way. Happy to see us fight back - that's what we need to be. Two more tough games that we can possibly get points from to get back on track for a great finish.

Ken: Nuno should instead explain why we couldn't play in the first half - after we scored - like we did for the whole of the second. If those players went into their shell of their own accord, then he's lost the dressing room. If he coached them to do that, then it's his fault. One or the other. It's not the first time either - Bournemouth... Fulham... Interesting that Murillo and Aina have been useless since their contract talks began.