Nottingham Forest boosted their survival hopes with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Southampton on Monday night.
The Reds head to Chelsea on Saturday sitting three points clear of the relegation zone with three games remaining. With their fate in their own hands, they have a fighting chance of staying up.
There is still a long way to go, however, and improving their miserable away form is a must. Ahead of Forest’s trip to Stamford Bridge, here’s our round-up of the latest goings-on Trentside.
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Penalty decision
Morgan Gibbs-White revealed after victory over the Saints that the hosts had done their homework on how goalkeeper Alex McCarthy likes to approach spot-kicks. And they had also decided beforehand that it would be the summer signing who would step up should one be awarded.
Brennan Johnson had won the penalty and is usually the man to take them. But it was Gibbs-White who thumped it in to make it 3-1 at the time.
"It was a pre-planned decision,” said head coach Steve Cooper. “You have a number of penalty takers in your squad, at times it's more right for one person to take it than another.
"It was just a decision we made. Brennan will take penalties again, for sure. He's a good penalty taker and he thrives off the challenge of being that as well. But it's good having one or two who can offer something as well and can add to the decisions of who's up next in taking them.”
Shelvey situation
Midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has not got on the pitch since his costly error against Aston Villa. He has not been included in the last four match squads, following a disagreement with Cooper prior to the clash away to Liverpool.
The January signing has been carrying a calf problem but is available for selection. And although he hasn’t had a look-in amid the recent improvement in performances, Cooper has reiterated there is no problem between the two of them.
“Jonjo is training,” said the Welshman. “We have got players and squads to pick, which is what we want, but always outside of that there are players who fall on the wrong side.
“That is the life of a manager trying to make the right choices, sometimes we get it right, sometimes we don’t. There’s no problem, we’re all good.”
Felipe’s confidence
The mood was certainly buoyant at the City Ground on Monday night. Three points undoubtedly lifted spirits and bolstered belief that Forest can avoid the drop.
If they do, perhaps fans will get to see a repeat of Felipe’s spectacular celebration for the goal that never was. The Brazilian has been nicknamed "Flipe" by some for his acrobatics, which VAR put the mockers on. But the January signing is confident the Reds will be preparing for another season of Premier League football come the summer.
“We had another great atmosphere at the City Ground, and the strength of our fans made all the difference for us to win this battle,” he told Brazilian website GE.globo. “We just have to thank for the support and for believing.
“We're going to fight and believe until the end, as Forest is fully capable of remaining in the Premier League. We had many games with good performances and we deserved a better result. We are going to face three more finals to finish with the objective accomplished and then plan a next season with the goals we really want.”
Danilo boost
Midfielder Danilo had been a doubt for the Southampton match, having been forced off against Brentford with a suspected hamstring problem. In the event, he got the green light to start and put in a man of the match performance which included an assist and a goal.
Physiotherapist Claudio Roberto detailed on Instagram how he “urgently” made the trip to England from Sao Paulo to help with the Brazilian’s treatment.
“The profession I chose takes me to special places, with even more special people,” he wrote. “Physical therapy goes beyond exercise to improve your pain, it’s healing. Thank you for your trust @daniillo_10 and @officialnffc.”
Promotion hopes
The regular EFL campaign may have finished, but two Forest players still have plenty to play for with their respective loan clubs. Ethan Horvath (Luton Town) and Jonathan Panzo (Coventry City) are involved in the Championship play-offs.
The Hatters are away to Sunderland on Saturday, in the first leg of their semi-final. The return match is next Tuesday. Coventry host Middlesbrough on Sunday, with their second leg next Wednesday.
Should Luton reach Wembley, Horvath already has experience of playing in that occasion. He replaced Brice Samba in the closing stages of last year’s final as the Reds beat Huddersfield Town.
“I remember being told to kick the ball 80 yards and all I was thinking was I could end up pulling my groin because I hadn’t warmed up,” Horvath told The Athletic. “You never know what is going to happen in a few minutes of football, but it was a nice experience to have been on the pitch when the final whistle went.
“To have that little bit of feeling goes a long way because, at Luton, I know what we are going through now. Even if I didn’t come on, I had still been involved in a play-off final and I know what to expect from the day.”
Play-off finals
Monday night (May 15) is a big one for Forest Under-21s. They will take on Leeds United in the Premier League 2 Division 2 play-off final at Elland Road (7pm kick-off)
The Reds toppled West Bromwich Albion 3-0 to book their place in the final, and it is hoped a big crowd will be out in force for the occasion. Tickets are priced £6 for adults and £3 for concessions.
Tickets are also now on sale for Forest Women’s National League play-off final against Watford. That takes place at Stadium MK on Saturday, May 20 (1pm kick-off). Up for grabs is promotion to the Championship, which would cap an already brilliant season for Andy Cook’s side.
Tickets are priced at £5 for adults, £2.50 for concessions and entry is free for under 10s. Coach travel is also available for supporters for £18 per person.
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