PREVIEW: Sky Blues Travel to Nottingham Forest Tonight

City are aiming for back-to-back league wins...

4 November 2020

The Sky Blues travel to Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night. Here’s everything you need to know about our opponents.

Fact File

Name: Nottingham Forest

Founded: 1865

Stadium: The City Ground (first opened 1898)

Capacity: 30,445

Nickname: Forest, The Reds

Address: City Ground, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, NG2 5FJ

Pitch Size: 115 x 78 yards

City Ground.jpg

The Opposition

Nottingham Forest finished in seventh place in the Championship last season, missing out on the play-offs on goal difference, after a spectacular final day collapse at home to Stoke City.

The Reds sacked former boss Sabri Lamouchi in early October and replaced him with experienced manager Chris Hughton who inherits a squad with plenty of talent.

Forest made several signings in the summer, bringing in the likes of Scott McKenna, Harry Arter and Lyle Tyler on permanent deals as well as Cyrus Christie, Luke Freeman and Anthony Knockaert on loan.

Hughton’s men have endured a tricky start to the season and find themselves one place above the relegation zone after nine matches.

Chris Hughton.jpg

Manager

Chris Hughton was appointed as Nottingham Forest manager this October, having previously enjoyed a five-year stint in charge of Brighton & Hove Albion.

Hughton began his coaching career with former club Tottenham Hotspur, twice taking caretaker charge of the club, and spent 14-years on the coaching staff before joining Newcastle United initially as first-team coach.

After two spells in charge as caretaker manager, Hughton was given the manager’s role on a permanent basis in October 2009 and guided the Magpies to the Championship title in style, but despite making a good start to the following season, he was surprisingly dismissed by Newcastle in December 2010.

The 61-year-old returned to management with Birmingham City in June 2011, helping the West Midlands club reach the Championship play-offs before losing in the semi-finals to Blackpool.

He moved to Norwich City in June 2012 and guided the Canaries to an impressive 11^th place finish in the Premier League in his first season in charge and was well-placed to keep them up the following season before his dismissal in April 2014.

Hughton was then appointed as Brighton manager in December 2014, keeping the Seagulls in the second tier, before leading them to a third place finish the following campaign where they were denied automatic promotion on the final day season and would go on to lose to Sheffield Wednesday in the play-offs.

However, Hughton was able to guide the club into the Premier League for the first time in their history in 2016/17, narrowly missing out on the title after conceding a late goal against Aston Villa on the final day of the season.

He helped the Seagulls retain their top-flight status for the next two seasons, which included reaching the FA Cup semi-finals in 2018/19, before departing in May 2019.

With Forest, Hughton has managed five matches recording one win, three draws and one defeat.

Nottingham Forest Fans.jpg

Last Six Games

Lost – Middlesbrough 1-0 Nottingham Forest (Sky Bet Championship)

Drew – Luton Town 1-1 Nottingham Forest (Sky Bet Championship)

Drew – Nottingham Forest 1-1 Derby County (Sky Bet Championship)

Drew – Nottingham Forest 1-1 Rotherham United (Sky Bet Championship)

Won – Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Nottingham Forest (Sky Bet Championship)

Lost – Nottingham Forest 1-2 Bristol City (Sky Bet Championship)

Last Meeting vs Nottingham Forest.jpg

Last Time We Met

The two sides last met in February 2012 with the Sky Blues falling to a 2-0 defeat at the City Ground.

City were denied the opening goal on 17 minutes when Alex Nimely found the back of the net after Gary McSheffrey was penalised for a handball in the build-up.

The hosts created their first real chance of the game after the interval when Garath McCleary shot wide before Chris Gunter’s cross deflected off teammate Dexter Blackstock and hit the post.

Keeper Joe Murphy then made a brave stop to prevent McCleary from breaking the deadlock, diving at the feet of the Forest player to keep the scores level.

Gary Deegan came within a whisker of handing the Sky Blues the lead when his ferocious effort flew inches past the top corner of the goal.

Murphy was called into action again when he made a superb save to deny Andy Reid’s flicked effort, somehow turning the ball away from the target.

Forest took the lead on 74 minutes when McCleary carried the ball from inside his own half before finding the bottom corner from 18-yards out.

Substitute Robbie Findley scored Forest’s second goal on 86 minutes controlling a cross on his chest before firing an effort under Murphy.

Head-to-Head Record

Sky Blues Wins – 19

Draws – 28

Nottingham Forest Wins – 45

Club Connections

Tyler Walker

Striker Tyler Walker joined the Sky Blues from Nottingham Forest this summer.

Tyler began his career with Forest, coming through the club’s academy and made a total of 45 appearances, scoring seven goals across a six-year spell with his hometown club.

During his time at the City Ground, Walker was loaned out on six separate occasions, featuring for Burton Albion, Stevenage, Port Vale and Bolton Wanderers before enjoying a fruitful loan spell with Mansfield Town in 2018/19.

The 24-year-old netted 26 goals in 50 appearances for the Stags helping them reach the League Two play-offs where they were beaten on penalties by Newport County in the semi-finals.

He was enjoying a fine season last term with League One side Lincoln City, having scored 16 goals in 34 matches before the curtailment of the season.

Tyler joined City this August and scored on his debut against Milton Keynes Dons in the Carabao Cup and has gone on to make a further four appearances for the club.

Cyrus Christie.jpg

Cyrus Christie

A graduate of the Sky Blues academy, Cyrus Christie is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest from Premier League side Fulham.

Christie made 119 appearances for City, scoring four goals, across four seasons with the club, with his impressive displays for the Sky Blues earning him a move to Derby County in July 2014.

He spent three seasons with the Rams, making a total of 117 appearances before joining fellow Championship side Middlesbrough in July 2017.

The Republic of Ireland international would spend half a season on Teesside before moving to Fulham in January 2018 and helped the Cottagers achieve promotion to the Premier League, appearing in the play-off final at Wembley.

He made 23 appearances for Fulham in the top-flight as they were relegated back to the second tier before helping them return to the Premier League via the play-offs once again last season.

The 28-year-old joined Forest on loan in September and has made seven appearances for his new club.

Geoff Eltringham.jpg

Match Officials

Geoff Eltringham will be the man in the middle on Wednesday night, taking charge of his sixth game of the 2020/21 season.

He last refereed the Sky Blues back in October 2012, when City ran out 4-0 winners away at York City in the EFL Trophy.

This will be Eltringham’s 13^th season as a Football League referee and he has officiated the Sky Blues on three other occasions, with City winning two and losing one of those matches.

So far, Eltringham has awarded 13 yellow cards and one red card across five matches in the Sky Bet Championship and Carabao Cup.

He will be assisted by Ian Cooper and George Byrne with Tony Harrington acting as fourth official.

Match Previews

Match Reports

REPORT: Nottingham Forest 2-1 Sky Blues

City were beaten by a last gasp penalty at the City Ground..

4 November 2020

The Sky Blues were beaten right at the death by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Wednesday night.

City were dominant in the second half and deservedly equalised through Callum O’Hare’s header after Scott McKenna had put Forest ahead on the half hour mark.

However, Lyle Taylor scored from the penalty spot with the last kick of the game to snatch the points for Forest after Kyle McFadzean brought down the striker.

Mark Robins made three changes to the side that beat Reading last time out with Sam McCallum, McFadzean and O’Hare returning to the team in place of Fankaty Dabo, Dom Hyam and Jordan Shipley.

The hosts created the first chance of the game when Anthony Knockaert found some space before testing Marko Marosi with a powerful effort from distance that the City keeper was equal to.

From the resulting corner Tobias Figueiredo nodded a header wide of the post from close range.

City slowly built their way into the game and had their first meaningful effort when Gus Hamer sliced an effort over the bar after the ball fell kindly to him on the edge of the penalty area.

Forest took the lead on the half hour mark when City failed to clear Knockaert’s free-kick from the right with the ball ricocheting into the path of McKenna who finished past Marosi from close range.

The Sky Blues responded when O’Hare dribbled his way towards goal, running from just inside the Forest half, before forcing Brice Samba into a save low down to his right.

HALF-TIME: NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1-0 SKY BLUES

City made a blistering start to the second half and came within the width of the post of scoring an equaliser when a superb team move ended with Hamer slipping Max Biamou through on goal only for the striker’s effort to come back off the inside of the post.

Hamer’s resulting corner from the left was well met by the leaping Ostigard who guided his header just wide of the left-hand post.

The pressure eventually told when McCallum delivered a wicked early cross from the right that was carefully steered into the net by the head of O’Hare as the midfielder burst into the penalty area.

Chris Hughton’s side continued to look dangerous from set-pieces when Knockaert delivered a dangerous ball into the are from the left that was flicked goalwards by the head of Taylor and well-saved by Marosi.

However, City came straight back at their opponents with O’Hare again causing the hosts problem when he worked some space on the edge of the area before firing a low effort wide of the post.

City then tried a repeat of the goal that brought them level when McCallum crossed for substitute Tyler Walker who flicked a header wide of the left-hand post.

The Sky Blues searched for a second goal and almost found it after a good move saw Ryan Giles find Hamer who set the ball back for Ben Sheaf who saw his effort held by Samba.

City came even closer to taking the lead when Hamer produced a magnificent cross from the right that found the head of Biamou who could only head straight at Samba from six yards out.

Biamou had another chance minutes later when he controlled a dropping ball on his chest before volleying wide of the target.

The Sky Blues were then denied by an excellent save from Samba after some great close control from O’Hare saw him skip past some Forest defenders inside the penalty area before being thwarted by the Forest goalkeeper from close range.

Substitute Walker then managed to get in behind the Forest defence and appeared to be taken out by goalkeeper Samba in a race to the ball, but no foul was given by referee Geoff Eltringham.

Forest tried to snatch a late winner when City failed to clear a corner from the left which led to a scramble inside the penalty area with Ryan Yates scooping an effort wide.

A long ball up field then caused problems for the hosts and fell to Ostigard at the back post whose diving header was once again kept out by the diving Samba.

McFadzean brought down Taylor inside the penalty area in the final minute of added time which the striker converted to steal the points for Forest right at the death.

FULL-TIME: NOTTINGHAM FOREST 2-1 SKY BLUES

Goals: McKenna (30’), O’Hare (57’), Taylor (90’+7 pen)

Yellows: Sow (18’), Ostigard (85’), McFadzean (90’+6)

Nottingham Forest XI: Brice Samba (GK), Cyrus Christie, Tobias Figueiredo, Scott McKenna, Yuri Ribeiro, Samba Sow (Yates 67’), Jack Colback (C), Joe Lolley, Anthony Knockaert (Guerrero 79’), Luke Freeman (Ameobi 67’), Lyle Taylor

Unused Subs: Jordan Smith (GK), Loic Mbe Soh, Carl Jenkinson, Harry Arter

Sky Blues XI: Marko Marosi (GK), Sam McCallum, Michael Rose, Kyle McFadzean, Leo Ostigard, Ryan Giles (Dacosta 90’+2), Gustavo Hamer, Ben Sheaf, Callum O’Hare, Max Biamou, Matty Godden (C) (Walker 56‘)

Unused Subs: Ben Wilson (GK), Jordon Thompson, Liam Kelly, Jamie Allen, Will Bapaga