NOTTINGHAM FOREST’S slump continues – yet their Champions League fate remains in their nervous, sweaty palms.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s Forest began April in third and 10 points clear of sixth, daring to dream of welcoming Europe’s big dogs to their beloved City Ground.
But last night’s salvaged point away to Crystal Palace sees them with just one win from their last five Prem outings – Murillo’s 64th minute deflected flick cancelling out Eberechi Eze’s VAR-awarded penalty on the hour mark.
Forest are now sat in sixth and two points off fifth-placed Chelsea and fourth-placed Newcastle with three games remaining.
That epic final-day showdown against the Blues still leaves Forest in control of their own destiny, requiring a perfect end to the campaign before then at home to relegated Leicester and away to West Ham.
There is also the added ingredient of Enzo Maresca’s Londoners visiting St James’ Park this weekend.
But it should never have come down to this, and Forest only have themselves to blame for nearly letting it slip.
Oliver Glasner’s Palace, with an FA Cup final to look forward to later this month, are just four points shy of their best-ever Prem points tally, and could have been even closer thanks to a sizzling display by Eze – fresh from winning £15k in an online chess tournament last week.
But this was all about Forest and their ability to check-mate themselves out of nowhere.
Nuno made a tactical switch from Thursday’s 2-0 defeat at home to Brentford, dropping Ryan Yates and giving injury-plagued Ibrahim Sangare his first Prem start since August.
The other change was enforced – Callum Hudson-Odoi’s hamstring issues pushing Elliot Anderson out wide and Nicolas Dominguez filling in.
Palace went with the same XI that battered Aston Villa at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-finals last month, and Selhurst Park did its best to recreate that atmosphere in south west London.
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In reality, Forest’s nerves had sapped the energy from their legs from the off. The hosts could smell that fear and hesitation. A bombardment of Forest’s box with several corners one after another had Nuno’s boys scrambling for a breather.
The FA Cup finalists were enjoying themselves, perhaps a bit too much as Tyrick Mitchell almost headed past his own keeper when dealing with a long ball but for an acrobatic reaction stop from Dean Henderson.
With a place amongst Europe’s finest on the line, Forest were alarmingly flat. Palace were lacking intensity and quality too, but at least they had an excuse of having one eye on Wembley.
Needing to win, Forest were playing like a team terrified to lose.
Palace sparked into life in the 34th minute – Sarr connecting with Mitchell’s looping back-post cross forcing Matz Sels into his first save.
VAR could have livened things up with Chris Woods taking a tumble in the box under contact from Daniel Munoz five minutes before the break, but the briefest of checks allowed referee Andy Madley to play on.
Nuno’s half-time talk could have been so different had Anthony Elanga finished a fine move involving Dominguez and Wood instead of firing straight at Henderson – classic countering Forest from back to front.
Not one for throwing teacups in dressing rooms, Nuno now needed his side to throw the kitchen sink at their opponents in search of a goal worthy of Champions League football.
Wood should have delivered it in the 50th minute via another counter with a composed touch in the box only to watch his effort deflect just wide from the inside of Lacroix’s leg.
Nuno sunk to his knees. A huge moment, especially as seconds before Sels had denied Sarr up the other end.
The drama continued. Sarr’s brilliant cross picked out Mitchell in the six-yard box and the Eagles full-back was taken out – first by Dominguez and then by Sels.
Madley waved away, but a VAR check was inevitable. The monitor confirmed Forest’s worst fears with Sels booked and Eze stood over the penalty.
His finish was emphatic – his tenth in all competitions. His stuttered run-up had Forest players surrounding Madley, more out of desperation than anything else.
Forest responded quickly, and with a huge slice of luck as Nico Williams’ driven effort from range was helped in by a stray Murillo leg.
Palace pushed in the dying moments as Forest retreated.
Maxence Lacroix headed just over. Eze curled one onto the bar from 25 yards and Eddie Nketiah had a goal ruled out for offside in injury time to send Nuno’s nerves into overdrive.
Forest are alive, but there really is no more room for error.
Palace however are now just four points shy of breaking the 50-point barrier in the Premier League for the first time ever.
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