If you had told Nottingham Forest fans in August that a point in their penultimate home game of the season would guarantee them European qualification, they would have bitten your hand off. Now, however, Facundo Buonanotte’s late equaliser has spirited Champions League qualification out of their hands.
Qualifying for the Europa League (or Europa Conference) is no mean feat for Nuno Espírito Santo’s team but, having been sitting pretty in third place for the middle part of the season, it seems like a comedown now. Certainly that initially seemed to be Evangelos Marinakis’s reaction as the Forest owner strode on to the pitch at full time to have a few choice words with his manager, even if it was later pointed out that this was over a substitution debate.
With only one win in their past seven games, including the FA Cup semi-final defeat against Manchester City, Forest’s season is in danger of subsiding. And it almost finished even worse for them against their already relegated East Midlands rivals. As the home team threw themselves into all-out attack, Jamie Vardy inspired a breakaway that invited Jeremy Monga, the 15-year-old substitute, to shoot towards the top corner before Matz Sels saved.
Forest’s players fell to the ground on the final whistle. Having picked themselves up from going behind to Conor Coady’s early goal to level through Morgan Gibbs-White, the fairytale looked back on when the latter sent in the cross for Chris Wood to dive full length and score his 20th Premier League goal.
“Tomorrow we will feel better at this big achievement,” Nuno said. “But today we are reflecting on a game we feel we should have won. The big situation is it is no longer in our hands. This is what we wanted before the game. It’s our responsibility to keep going in these last two games. But many things can still happen.”
Forest fans chanted “Stevie Cooper” in the early stages in appreciation of the former manager who brought them up from the Championship before playing a part in helping to take Leicester back there.
If culpability lies with the manager, however, Ruud van Nistelrooy has played a bigger role. At least Leicester were above the relegation zone when Cooper, with 10 points from 12 games, was dismissed in November; the current manager has gained 12 points from his 23 matches in charge, albeit with an improved five from the last five.
Van Nistelrooy was upbeat after this draw and would like to start planning for next season. “I had conversations with the owners and leadership [months ago], and for weeks I don’t have any news,” the Leicester manager said. “My focus is just on training and the next game. I am here for the club’s best interests. It’s very important and the sooner the better. But my job is just to focus on the football, and I thought it was important to change the narrative and start to build for next season. I can’t thank the players enough that they are all with me.”
Chelsea’s defeat at Newcastle had passed the opportunity to claim fifth place back to Forest, not least as Enzo Maresca’s team visit here in a fortnight minus the suspended Nicolas Jackson. So it was something of a surprise when Leicester took the lead. A long throw was only partially cleared by Neco Williams. Bilal El Khannouss let fly with a tricky shot that was deflected and required a good save from Sels. But there was Coady to head home the rebound for his first league goal for Leicester.
Forest were soon level, however. When Luke Thomas fouled Anthony Elanga, the winger floated in the free‑kick from which Gibbs-White headed down and in for his sixth goal of the season. That should add a few hundred thousand to his asking price as and when Manchester City come back knocking.
The Leicester fans responded by unleashing one of their favourites. “Champions of England, you’ll never sing that,” they chanted. Football fans are getting young these days. Were none of them born before the Premier League started? Anyway, Forest fans came back with “Champions of Europe … you’ll never sing that.”
Forest increased their intensity after the interval. When Gibbs-White found space in the inside-right channel, Wood’s eyes lit up. The captain’s delivery was sumptuous: swerving, with the right pace, at the right height for Forest’s top scorer to wait his moment as he ran in, keep his eyes on the ball before diving in to head into the near corner. Forest, even with Murillo out with a damaged hamstring, should have had enough to see the game out.
However, Leicester were not done. Vardy, back to goal, receiving to feet, flicked a pass on for Buonanotte, who weaved past two defenders before shooting past Selz. For Forest’s Champions League chances, that could be thank you and good night.
