Nottingham Forest bowed out of the FA Cup on Sunday, but only after running Liverpool mightily close in a pulsating quarter-final at the City Ground. Here’s a round-up how the national media reported on the performance of Steve Cooper’s side…
It could have been glorious - The Telegraph
It could have been so different for Nottingham Forest, it could have been glorious, they could have added Liverpool to Arsenal and Leicester City on their list of vanquished in this memorable cup campaign – and it could have ended that quadruple hope had Philip Zinckernagel taken a golden opportunity seconds before Diogo Jota struck the only goal.
Somehow, though, the midfielder angled his first-time shot inches past the post with Alisson beaten and the tie slipped away. Liverpool capitalised as Jota turned the ball home from close-range - the goal standing after a VAR check for offside. It was incredibly tight. Forest were unhappy at the decision and also claimed they should have had a penalty when Alisson later challenged Ryan Yates.
The mere fact that Forest could put forward such arguments showed how well they played and also how far they have come under their impressive manager Steve Cooper, who rubbed his face in disbelief at Zinckernagel’s miss.
READ MORE: Alan Shearer issues blunt Nottingham Forest penalty verdict after Liverpool clash
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Forest admirable and tenacious – Daily Mail
Outside the City Ground before kick-off, Nottingham Forest supporters queued up for photographs with the FA Cup.
It turns out that is as close this famous old club will get to it for the time being but Forest from the Championship certainly pushed Liverpool to their limits on yet another fabulous afternoon by the Trent.
Steve Cooper’s admirable and tenacious Nottingham Forest team had already slain Premier League opposition here this season in the form of Arsenal and Leicester City. Only the narrowest of margins ensured Liverpool did not follow those teams out of the competition.
Reds have spine for promotion - BBC Sport
Forest were bottom of the Championship when Cooper took charge in September and the former England Under-17s boss has since overseen a significant upturn in fortunes.
This was only Forest's second defeat since the turn of the year and, while they will take heart from pushing one of Europe's elite clubs so close, they can now focus all of their attention on trying to join Liverpool in the Premier League next term.
Forest are three points off the Championship play-off positions with games in hand on all the sides around them in the table. And if the likes of Joe Worrall, James Garner and Keinan Davis continue to perform in the same vein as they did here, they appear to have the spine of a team capable of reaching the top flight for the first time since 1999.
READ MORE: Cooper makes 'interesting' claim over VAR calls in Forest defeat to Liverpool
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Forest courageous and stubborn - The Guardian
Jurgen Klopp had conceded his scant knowledge of Nottingham extended to its association with Robin Hood and, until Diogo Jota poked in the winning goal 12 minutes from time to propel Liverpool into a FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City, he was in jeopardy of being on the wrong end of an upset that would have provided an unwanted memory.
Forest proved courageous and stubborn, leading Klopp to make a quadruple substitution midway through a stale second half, replenishing his entire midfield, and the hosts should have taken the lead, Philip Zinckernagel wasting a golden opportunity. As the game reached a barnstorming climax, Ryan Yates missed a chance to take the game to extra time.
