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After a full-throttled, thoroughly entertaining affair at Stamford Bridge, it was put to Nuno Espirito Santo that Nottingham Forest are no longer simply a low-block team.
The Portuguese looked his inquisitor in the eye and smiled. "We are trying, mate,” he said with a grin and half a chuckle. “We are trying so hard to be that one that you say.”
There is still a long way to go and plenty of progress to be made, but the Reds really aren’t that team any more. They have evolved.
If any outside observers perhaps thought that historic win away to Liverpool a few weeks ago was a fluke or a one-off, Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge saw to that. Nuno’s side are a thoroughly different prospect this season.
They won’t always get it right, as evidenced by the defeat to Fulham a week earlier. But there is a lot to like about this Forest team, and it is one with bags of potential.
They could have come away with a win at Chelsea. They also needed a huge performance from Matz Sels to ensure they got the draw, but that was all part of an impressive afternoon for the visitors. Below, we look at some of the big talking points from the game.
Steely spirit on show
The 2024/25 version of Forest has many qualities. Chief among them is character. There is a steely determination about this group.
They really had to show it on Sunday. Pegged back after opening the scoring, down to 10 men and facing a bombardment in the final few minutes from a team with arguably the most in-form player in the Premier League in their ranks was a big test. But the Reds’ steely spirit ensured they didn’t fold.
Even Cole Palmer could not inspire a late winner for his side on this occasion. To a man, the visitors dug in and stood firm. The substitutes played their part, too.
In his pre-match press conference, Nuno had said the only way to stop Palmer and thwart Chelsea would be as a team. He was right; it took a superb collective effort.
But if one player epitomises the grit and determination in the Forest dressing room it is Ryan Yates. The number of post-match social media posts from Blues fans moaning about the Forest skipper indicated just how much he had got under the hosts’ skin.
Defiant defence
Sels’ position had been called into question by some fans after a few mistakes. It remains to be seen whether the club again look for a goalkeeper in January, but there is virtually no chance the Belgian loses his spot before then. Not after this.
He was immense in the capital. Chris Wood described him as “unbelievable”. The Reds returned north with a point thanks in no small part to a string of incredible saves, including some crucial ones at the death. Palmer tried everything to get the better of him but could find no way through.
The same applied to the back line as a whole. Nikola Milenkovic has made a massive difference since putting pen to paper in the summer. Not only did he set up Wood for the opener, he was also rock-solid defensively - as he usually is.
Substitute Morato did his bit, too. The 23-year-old has had three cameo appearances so far and has generally looked assured in each one. It says a lot that he has been trusted to help see out big games, having also come on against Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion.
Forest have made great strides defensively this season. Nuno sees being tight at the back as an important foundation to build from, and the work put in during pre-season and on the training ground is paying dividends. Just six goals conceded in seven games; the same number as Arsenal, with only Liverpool (two) performing better.
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Red card debate
The Reds have had plenty of cause for complaint regarding Premier League officiating. Nuno and Morgan Gibbs-White are set to have their hearing this week after being charged by the Football Association for allegedly acting “in an improper manner” and/or using “abusive and/or insulting words” towards the officials in the 2-2 draw at Brighton.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis is also in hot water with the FA after being charged with misconduct for alleged “improper” behaviour in the City Ground tunnel area after the final whistle against Fulham. On that occasion, Forest were furious over what they saw as inconsistency from the officials amid a penalty being awarded to the Cottagers and two of their own spot-kick shouts going unpunished.
There was no debate about James Ward-Prowse’s red card in the capital, though. Already on a booking, the midfielder was given his marching orders in the 78th minute for handling the ball as he went to ground when trying to stop a Nicolas Jackson attack.
Depending on your point of view, Ward-Prowse either did what was necessary or he was punished for poor decision making. Nuno fell firmly into the former category.
“He did it for the team,” the Portuguese explained. “James is a very experienced player; he felt he had to do (it).”
Nuno has a point. Where Ward-Prowse arguably slipped up was not controlling the ball in the first place as he then found himself in trouble.
This was a feisty affair, though. Six Chelsea players were booked and Nuno was also cautioned, while a mass brawl involving both sets of players broke out towards the end of the match. During that melee Jackson appeared to raise his hand to Morato but it is said VAR deemed it to not have reached the threshold for violent conduct.
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Foundation to build on
Forest will have gone into the international break in very good spirits, sitting 10th in the table after a well-earned point. Sels let out a mighty roar at the final whistle, as well he might have done after his extraordinary effort.
There is a real platform there for the Reds to build on. There is no reason why they cannot kick on again and improve further. “We want to be rising up the table and competing up there for years to come,” Wood said (via the BBC) afterwards.
The big downside to Sunday, however, was the ankle injury to Gibbs-White. It is hopefully an encouraging sign that the England international was able to walk off but he looked in some pain when he was being treated on the pitch. He is set to undergo a scan today (Monday).
Losing him for any period of time would be a massive blow. He was sorely missed when he was suspended against Fulham. If he does face a spell on the sidelines, Nuno will need to look at how Forest cope without him as the set-up against the Cottagers didn’t work. Everyone at the City Ground will have fingers tightly crossed that it doesn’t come to that, though.
While there may be a question mark against Gibbs-White’s availability, the Reds will certainly be without Ward-Prowse when the Premier League action resumes with a clash at home to Crystal Palace on October 21. This is where Forest’s strength in depth will be called upon.
The Reds have shown they can cope with testing circumstances, though. Next to tick off on the to-do list is improving the home form. Play with the kind of spirit they showed on Sunday and that will come.