Nottingham Forest missed a golden chance to leap into the Champions League qualification spots after conceding a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw against already-relegated rivals Leicester City at the City Ground.
Facundo Buonanotte’s 82nd-minute strike earned the Foxes an unexpected point, punishing Forest for a lack of control and composure in the final stages of a game they had worked hard to turn around. Goals from Chris Wood and Morgan Gibbs-White had earlier put Nuno Espírito Santo’s side in the driving seat after Conor Coady had opened the scoring for Leicester with his first Premier League goal for the club.
Victory would have seen Nottingham Forest climb into the top five, capitalizing on Chelsea’s earlier defeat to fellow top-four contenders Newcastle United. But instead, the draw leaves Forest in seventh place, one point behind fifth-placed Chelsea and two behind Newcastle, with only three games left to play.
The result was made all the more bitter by the fact that Forest’s Champions League destiny had effectively been in their own hands. Three wins from their final three fixtures would have guaranteed a top-four finish, but now, the road to Europe’s elite competition is more uncertain than ever.
Nottingham Forest Let Key Moment Slip Away
Owner Evangelos Marinakis was visibly frustrated, making his way down to the pitch after the final whistle to speak directly with manager Nuno Espírito Santo. The Greek businessman has made his ambitions clear—and watching his team surrender a lead in such careless fashion will have done nothing to ease tensions ahead of the season’s closing stretch.
Forest approached the game with intent and urgency. From the opening whistle, Anthony Elanga created two quick chances for Chris Wood in the first four minutes. Earlier in the season, Wood was converting these opportunities with ease, but the goals have dried up. Prior to this match, the New Zealand striker had scored just once in his last ten appearances.
That inefficiency came back to haunt Forest when Coady rose unmarked to head Leicester in front midway through the first half. The goal stunned the City Ground, but the response was encouraging. Gibbs-White pulled Forest level with a composed finish before halftime, and Wood made up for his earlier misses by nodding home Ola Aina’s cross to give Forest a 2-1 lead in the second half.
At that point, it looked like Nottingham Forest were ready to seize control of their European push. But with the stakes at their highest, the team faltered. Instead of tightening their grip on the game, they became frantic and exposed.
Buonanotte’s equaliser, slaloming through a disorganised Forest defence, came with eight minutes left on the clock—plus eight more in added time. But it was Leicester who looked likelier to score a winner. Forest, desperate to find a third goal, threw players forward recklessly and were twice nearly caught on the counter.
The immaturity of Forest’s game management was glaring. Instead of consolidating their position and seeing out a vital win, they left themselves wide open in search of more, losing their shape and focus in the process.
A Critical Juncture in Nottingham Forest’s Season
This result may come to define Forest’s season. With just three games left to play, the path to the Champions League is no longer in their hands. They must now not only win all their remaining matches, but also rely on slip-ups from the teams above them—most notably Chelsea and Newcastle.
Nuno Espírito Santo faces growing scrutiny. While he has injected energy and belief into the team since his arrival, questions will be asked about his tactical decisions and late-game substitutions. With Marinakis watching closely and emotions running high, the pressure on the Portuguese coach has ratcheted up several notches.
There were positives to take—Gibbs-White and Elanga looked sharp, and Wood finally got back on the scoresheet—but at this stage of the season, performances matter far less than points. Nottingham Forest were handed a gift earlier in the day with Chelsea’s loss, and they failed to take advantage.
They now face an uphill battle to salvage a season that promised so much. Champions League football is still possible, but no longer probable, and the psychological blow of dropping points to a relegated rival could linger.
With matches against high-flying Brighton, struggling Bournemouth, and title-chasing Manchester City to come, Forest must regroup quickly. The next three games will not only determine their European fate but could also shape the future of the club, from managerial decisions to summer transfers. For now, though, the frustration is raw, and the opportunity missed is massive.
Source-BBC