Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira, speaking to Sky Sports after their goalless draw with Fulham: "Very happy with my players, we gave everything on the pitch. Happy with our supporters, they tried to help us until the end. The spirit of the team and the players from the bench. This is not a speed race, this is a marathon until the end. This was a chance to get the three points but the next game is another chance.

"We needed to refresh the team to put more energy in. They are players who are strong one-on-one. Dan Ndoye is fast in the space and Taiwo was fantastic. This is the spirit I want to see in my players.

"I like wingers one against one. They are players who can be danger players. Morgan Gibbs-White is more of a player to play inside and play between the lines. They have different skills.

"We played three days ago, raining, heavy pitch and today they try everything to get three points. The result is difficult to control but we can control what we do on the pitch or we can show the spirit to win the game. I am happy with them.

"It will be tough until the end. The decision will be at the end I think. I hope we can get points to escape the relegation zone. Tottenham, West Ham, and Leeds are good teams."

You can also listen to Pereira speak to Radio Nottingham on BBC Sounds

Did you know?

• Nottingham Forest have now failed to win any of their last seven Premier League home matches (D4 L3) since a 3-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur in December 2025 under Sean Dyche. This is their longest run without a victory at the City Ground in the top flight since a run of 16 between September 1998 and April 1999, in a season in which they were ultimately relegated.

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, PA Media

Before this round of Premier League fixtures, Nottingham Forest were ranked in the top 10 for attempts on target, but only Wolves (22) had scored fewer than their tally of 28.

Despite an improved second-half display in the 0-0 draw against Fulham, they drew a blank for the 14th time in 30 league outings this term.

They had been limited to long-range efforts in the first half, with Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno comfortably dealing with shots from outside the box by Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicolas Dominguez.

The introductions of Dan Ndoye and Omari Hutchinson at half-time had the desired positive impact and, on the balance of play after the break, probably should have taken all three points.

The two offside decisions against Ndoye - which could have resulted in a penalty and a goal for Forest - were very close calls, while Ola Aina's superb attempt that hit the crossbar was only a couple of inches off target.

Forest are now seven games without a Premier League win and their next league opponents are Tottenham on 22 March, in what could prove to be a critical game for both sides' survival hopes.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Nottingham Forest's performance

What did you make of Fulham's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Nottingham Forest make three changes from the side that lost in the Europa League to Midtjylland on Thursday - Neco Williams, Nikola Milenkovic and Ibrahim Sangare replace Morato, Jair Cunha and Omari Hutchinson.

Forest XI: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Sangare, Anderson, Dominguez, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Jesus.

Subs: Gunn, Morato, Awoniyi, Ndoye, Hutchinson, Yates, McAtee, Netz, Bakwa.

There are nine changes to the Fulham starting XI that was knocked out of the FA Cup last weekend by Southampton. Joachim Andersen and Oscar Bobb are the two players to keep their places.

Fulham XI: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Iwobi, Berge, Wilson, King, Bobb, Jimenez.

Subs: Lecomte, Reed, Muniz, Cairney, Chukwueze, Lukic, Castagne, Sessegnon, Diop

There are four games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Crystal Palace v Leeds - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Man Utd v Aston Villa - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Nottingham Forest v Fulham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Liverpool v Tottenham (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-offs 14:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Crystal Palace v Leeds" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v Spurs", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

This is a huge game for Nottingham Forest.

They got a good draw against Manchester City last time out, but what they need is a win - I know I keep pointing this out, but Forest boss Vitor Pereira still hasn't won a Premier League game this season, after 11 attempts with them and Wolves.

This is a great chance for Forest to put that right, but I don't think they will take it.

You just don't know what you are going to get from Fulham but they can play with a bit of freedom here.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

Relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest take on a Fulham side seeking to avoid a third straight defeat. BBC Sport examines some of the key themes before Sunday's match (14:00 GMT).

Anderson key to Forest's survival hopes

Nottingham Forest remain winless under Vitor Pereira following Thursday's 1-0 defeat by Midtjylland. The Reds spurned a host of chances against the Danes, failing to build on the momentum from last week's 2-2 draw at Manchester City, which gave them their first league point under the new head coach.

Pereira said his team showed "lots of personality" in twice hitting back from a goal down against City and praised his players for keeping their shape and "waiting for the right moments to hurt" Pep Guardiola's men.

Forest have lacked cutting edge this season, with their tally of 28 goals the second lowest in the top flight. Last year's top scorer, Chris Wood, has missed most of the campaign with a knee injury and while his replacement, Igor Jesus, has shown promise in the cups, he has scored just twice in the league.

Goals will, therefore, need to come from elsewhere, and it was Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson who stepped up at Etihad Stadium.

Anderson has not been a regular goalscorer for Forest, netting four times in 66 Premier League appearances for the club, but he has earned plaudits for his all-round game, particularly his crisp passing. He has made 303 line-breaking passes – forward balls that bypass the opposition's midfield or defensive line to find a team-mate in space. That is more than any other midfielder in the Premier League this season.

Fulham look to rebound against favourite opposition

After back-to-back home defeats by West Ham and Southampton, Fulham need a swift response to stop their season petering out. That was their fate last year, when a disappointing FA Cup loss to Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage was followed by six losses in their final nine league games, scuppering any hopes of challenging for Europe.

Head coach Marco Silva admitted his side simply were not good enough in Sunday's cup exit to Championship side Southampton and had to defend his decision to make nine changes to the starting line-up.

The good news for Fulham is key man Harry Wilson could return after missing the previous two games, while the Whites can also take heart from their excellent record in this fixture. The Cottagers have won six of the seven Premier League meetings between the sides, including a 1-0 victory when they met on 22 December.

Raul Jimenez scored the winner from the penalty spot on that occasion and has regularly been a thorn in Forest's side. The Mexican has registered four goals and an assist in four previous appearances against Sunday's opponents.

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

In the battle at the bottom, Wolves and Burnley are all but down barring a footballing miracle, which leaves one spot that is likely to be filled by one of Leeds, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest and West Ham.

With the most points on the board already, Leeds have the kindest run-in on paper, with just one game against a side from the top six (Manchester United on 13 April) and home games against both of the bottom two.

Meanwhile, it would seem like West Ham are the most likely to be relegated as not only do they currently sit in the bottom three, they also have the toughest run-in of the four sides.

However, the reason why Tottenham and Nottingham Forest fans have reason to be nervous is that the Hammers' performances have improved considerably under Nuno Espirito Santo's guidance in recent weeks.

Only four Premier League teams have taken more points from their past eight games than the east Londoners (14) and only four teams have a higher expected goal difference in that time, suggesting the upturn has not been down to luck.

Read more here

The team at BBC Radio Nottingham's Shut Up And Show More Football podcast have been digging into the shooting stats for Forest this season.

Commentator Colin Fray has pointed to some alarming statistics and improving them could prove critical in the fight to stay in the Premier League.

Forest have had 89 shots at goal in their last five home Premier League games, scoring once.

Fray explained: "Do you count that as a chance? Most stats people would say no - there's a shot and a chance. The chance number will always be lower.

"But I think it always highlights the fact Forest are not converting opportunities in the game into chances.

"Yes it's about missing shots and chances if they are creating them but it's also about the chance to create more.

"The stats show where the problems have been this season. They have had a lot of problems on and off the pitch.

"They have 13 home goals in 14 Premier League games. Only one in the last five - the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace. Within those five, 89 shots on goal, 19 of which on target. That's 70 off target across those five games and only one goal scored.

"One of the alarming stats - 13 home goals is the lowest in the league. With away goals added - 28 in total - it's the second lowest in the league.

"Even more alarming, of the 13 goals they have at home this season, nine have come in three games. Which means that across the other 11, they have only scored four. From 14 games, they have returned eight blanks. There are all sorts of stats that show where some of Forest's problems have been this season."

Listen to the podcast below or on BBC Sounds here

You can listen to build up and live commentary from BBC Radio Nottingham from 13:00 GMT on 103.8 and 95.5fm, DAB and BBC Sounds.

Explore all Nottingham Forest content on BBC Sounds

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira has been speaking to BBC Radio Nottingham before Sunday's Premier League game against Fulham at The City Ground (kick-off 14:00 GMT).

You can listen to build up and live commentary from BBC Radio Nottingham from 13:00 GMT on 103.8 and 95.5fm, DAB and BBC Sounds.

Here are the key lines from Pereira's news conference:

• Pereira acknowledged it will be "a tough game" on Sunday after their midweek defeat, but added: "Now it's time to recover, time to prepare, keeping the spirit of the players, keeping in the mentality and tactically try to prepare in the best way this game."

• On the pattern of Forest losing matches or dropping points after a good result: "You know, in football we can control what we do, our efforts, our energy, what we put on the pitch. But the result, sometimes football is not fair, it's not fair, but we must be strong inside to react and to come again. I will keep this spirit in my team for sure."

• He continued: "Next game, we will try everything to win the game. Some corrections, of course, we need to do it, but keeping the spirit, keeping the mentality because the players they did everything to win the last game [against Midtjylland]. We are losing 1-0 in half time, now it's time to put our focus in the league game against Fulham."

• Capitalising on home advantage is "important", but Pereira says they "proved in the last game against [Manchester] City that we can get points everywhere, everywhere". Pereira added: "With the spirit that I see in my players and with the organisation, we believe we can get points everywhere. But we play home in front of our supporters and we need a win. We need a win to celebrate with them."

• On opponents Fulham and Portuguese compatriot Marco Silva: "I know him very well. He's doing fantastic work in the Premier League. He has been with this club for a long time. It means it's a different situation between him and me. But now I believe that we can compete and we can compete for the three points"

• The Forest boss continued: "Now it's time to clean our minds, to rest, recover and be ready in three days to fight again, to fight with our qualities."

Listen to full commentary of Nottingham Forest v Fulham on Sunday from 14:00 GMT on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra on BBC Sounds

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Got a question about Forest? Get in touch here and we'll put it to our experts

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Thursday's Europa League last-16 first leg beteen Nottingham Forest and Midtjylland.

Here are some of your comments:

Sean: A common theme of our season, regardless of manager, has been that we have been really good to watch, with great attacking play, at times, but we can't take our chances. It's not acceptable any more. We need to score, or we win nothing and we go down. The amount of passes we had in their penalty area without getting a shot away, when it would have been simpler to shoot, is nothing short of ridiculous. You could make a case for poor conditions, but Midtjylland had the same conditions and they took their chance. We need to be more clinical. Take note, Ange... I mean, Sean... I mean, Vitor!

Jonathan: That sums up our season. Even when we play well, there aren't enough goals in the team. Poor defending gives away a free header and a game we dominated is lost.

Tim: Three months since Forest won at home, so wasn't expecting much. We aren't great when teams sit back and let us have the ball. Might do better at their place, but now they can sit back there too. Fulham will do the same on Sunday, which doesn't bode well.

Gaz: Moved the ball too slowly and toothless up front. That's exactly the type of performance that's got us into this situation in the league. Far too inconsistent. And Morato, I'm sorry to say, is a liability.

Ian: Hard luck actually - we played very well and we just needed a bit of luck. No complaints with team selection or substitutions as we needed to give rest to some players. We are certainly playing well enough so keep it going - the tide will turn!

Bobbie Jackson
BBC Sport Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Vitor Pereira became Forest's fourth manager of the season in February when he was parachuted in to rescue them from a relegation battle, with progress in Europe regarded as a bonus.

The Portuguese hit the ground running with a win over Fenerbahce in his first game but has been unable to build further momentum - failing to win any of the following five matches across all competitions.

He had eight days to prepare his players for the last-16 first leg following a 2-2 draw against Manchester City in their previous game and their performance, if not the result, suggested that additional training time has been beneficial.

Forest played with confidence that defied the fact they have won just one of their last eight games in all competitions - but ultimately they left the field with a familiar feeling of frustration.

Elliot Anderson was the standout performer and looked every part the player he did when helping Forest to qualify for Europe last season.

Morgan Gibbs-White was full of energy and Omari Hutchinson - brought in as one of three changes from the draw at City - also caught the eye.

Midtjylland, who beat Forest 3-2 in the league phase of the competition and finished third in the overall standings, were happy to play on the counter-attack and had several warnings from the referee for time-wasting.

The Danish side rode their luck but took their opportunity when it arrived with impressive ruthlessness while Forest - who had 22 attempts at goal - had nothing to show from a dominant performance.

Nottingham Forest manager Vítor Pereira, speaking to TNT Sports after the 1-0 defeat by Midtjylland: "It is difficult to explain. We created so many chances to score. Even if we did draw, it would not have been fair. They had two chances, and they scored. But we had enough time and the game was there. We had the quality to win."

On Midtjylland's threat: "We did everything we could to score. We were just missing the goals. It is frustrating that we did not score. But I am happy with my players and the supporters and we will try to keep the spirit and prepare for our next games."

On preparing players: "Even the rain played against us! We created good dynamics and chances to score, but the rain came and it was difficult. We will keep the spirits and go next time with the mentality to win the game."

On next steps: "Now is time to rest and recover, and then compete for three points against Fulham. We will be ready in three days."

You can listen to more from Pereira on BBC Sounds

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

What did you make of Nottingham Forest's display?

Come back on Friday for a selection of your replies

Vitor Pereira makes three changes to the Nottingham Forest side that drew 2-2 at Manchester City in the Premier League eight days ago.

Morato, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Omari Hutchinson come into the starting eleven with Nikola Milkenkovic, Ibrahim Sangare and Neco Williams dropping to the bench.

Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Murillo, Morato, Cunha, Aina; Dominguez, Anderson, Gibbs-White; Hudson-Odoi, Igor Jesus, Hutchinson

Subs: Williams, Sangare, Gunn, Lucca, Yates, McAtee, Bakwa, Milenkovic, Abbott, Willows

Midtjylland advanced to the final of the Danish Cup in their most recent outing on Sunday and boss Mike Tullberg makes two changes.

Denil Castillo replaces suspended winger Dario Osorio and Ousmane Diao takes Lee Han-beom's place in defence.

Top scorer Franculino remains on the sidelines with a knee injury.

Midtjylland XI: Olafsson, Jensen, Bech, Erlic, Diao; Bravo, Billing, Castillo; Simsir, Brumado, Mbabu

Subs: Lossl, Han-beom, Gue-sung, Gabriel, Chilufya, Uhre, Byskov, Ze, Ugboh

There are eight games in the Europa League on Thursday as the first legs of the last-16 ties take place, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Lille v Aston Villa (17:45)

• Bologna v Roma (17:45)

• Panathinaikos v Real Betis (17:45)

• Stuttgart v Porto (17:45)

• Celta Vigo v Lyon

• Ferencvaros v Sporting Braga

• Genk v Freiburg

• Nottingham Forest v Midtjylland

Kick-off times 20:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Pat Riddell
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest's biggest game in Europe for 30 years. A night under the lights at the World Famous City Ground. And everybody's talking about… ticket prices.

A place in the quarter-final of the Europa League awaits the winner of Nottingham Forest versus Midtjylland. And while Thursday's first leg on the banks of the River Trent could've seen one of the smallest crowds of the season, the club finally saw sense.

Adult tickets — anyone over the age of 18 that is, no youth reductions here — were originally priced between £50 and £70. Those same tickets are now between £25 and £40 and, fingers crossed, we will see a crowd of at least 20,000 for a game that needs supporters.

It's not been an inspiring time for the club. Tickets that were extremely hard to come by, haven't exactly in the same demand recently. In the same breath, we've wasted millions of pounds on payments to sacked managers — three at the last count — while season ticket prices have risen to levels unheard of just a few years ago.

Thankfully, rumours of above-inflation rises for next season have also been quashed. Prices will not increase and a young adult category (18-21) will be reintroduced, following consultation with supporter groups including Forza Garibaldi and the Fan Advisory Board.

Forest fan Ellie Molloson's impassioned appearance on The Overlap went viral recently, her opinions on the atmosphere at Premier League stadiums touching a nerve with many. The club, to their credit, have listened to fan concerns and acted accordingly.

Thousands of fans kept their season tickets through the Reds' years in the Championship and League One and it seems that loyalty has been respected. Relegation — which is still a serious threat —would do huge damage to that loyalty. Worse still, is the prospect of the future generation of supporters being priced out of supporting their local club.

There are times to criticise the club and there are times to praise the club for listening and reacting. It seems we are in the fortunate position of having an owner who is very clearly invested in the club's success, but very much invested in the supporters too.

At a time when Forest need all the support they can get, the only way to progress is for everyone to be pulling in the same direction.

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Nottingham Forest and Brazil defender Murillo, 23, is one of several defenders on Manchester United's shortlist of potential summer signings. (i paper), external

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The decision to reduce ticket prices for fans attending Nottingham Forest's Europa League match against FC Midtjylland is "class", says club captain Ryan Yates.

Earlier this week, BBC Sport's Nottingham Forest fan blogger - which you can read below - explained there were large spaces to be filled in the stadium and supporters were widely debating prices.

On Wednesday, Forest announced they would be reducing ticket prices, external in a bid to make The City Ground as full as possible.

Nottingham Forest take on the Danish side on Thursday night, with the winner across two legs rewarded with a spot in the Europa League quarter-finals.

"I think it's class from both the fans to raise it and from the club to listen," Yates told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"The more we can sell The City Ground out under the lights, it's only going to give us that extra boost when we need it.

"It can be difficult, a strong team – when The City Ground is rocking and it's a sell-out, it's a difficult place to play for any opponent.

"At the end of the day it is difficult times for many supporters.

"The fans will really respect that they've listened and been able to give the opportunity to some fans that haven't had the opportunity to come to The City Ground in the Premier League.

"I hope it goes down well."

Listen to Yates by hitting play above or on BBC Sounds here

Explore all Nottingham Forest audio

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Europa League game against Midtjylland at The City Ground (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Pereira confirmed Stefan Ortega "may be a couple matches out", with Dan Ndoye also unavailable, however, Jair Cunha is fit and "will be in the match".

• On the club dropping ticket prices, external and the importance of having a full stadium: "I know as a club, we need to be ready as a club. Not only the players, but the supporters, everyone must be ready for this fight, for this big challenge. Not only in the Europa League but in the Premier League. We need to be committed. We need the support of our fans. We need to feel the energy and we need to make them proud of our work."

• He continued: "I think it was a good decision to make because it's not easy for the supporters. On Thursday night, in the rain, it may be raining, it's not easy to come. But the passion, what makes the difference is the passion that we feel inside of us."

• Asked whether there would be a point where he sacrifices the Europa League to focus on Premier League survival, he responded: "We'll see. For now, we try to be competitive in both."

• He added: "I need to try to balance, to be competitive in the next game and afterwards against Fulham. It is important for the players to be ready to help the team, we need to be ready to challenge and perform."

• Pereira also went on to praise his side's work ethic as they try to balance Europe with their relegation battle: "We have quality in the squad, they are working hard, with good energy, trying to understand the tactical demands. We will be ready."

• The Forest boss admitted Midtjylland, who they lost to in October, will "not be easy to face", particularly with their set-pieces: "We must learn with the last game against them and play with our qualities, because we have the spirit. We have our qualities, our tools, our organisation, our dynamics. Tomorrow I believe that, with our supporters, we can play in a very good level and to get a good result."

Hit play above to hear more from Pereira speaking to BBC Radio Nottingham's Colin Fray or listen on BBC Sounds here

Got a question about Forest? Get in touch here and we'll put it to our experts

Manchester United have added Nottingham Forest's Ivory Coast midfielder Ibrahim Sangare, 28, to their transfer shortlist for this summer. (CaughtOffside), external

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