City Too Slick For Forest

Nottingham Forest 0-2 Manchester City (FA Cup Semi Final)

I was supposed to be scoring Leicestershire v Worcestershire women at Uppingham School in Rutland today, but the last time Nottingham Forest were in the semi-final of the FA Cup was 1991 when they beat West Ham United 4-0 at Villa Park. So forgive me if I prioritise my love for the reds ahead of some red ball action instead. It's been a while.

It's actually the first game of the season I'll be watching as a 'fan' so I'm excited to stick on my adidas retro 1979 European Cup final shirt, dust off my red and white scarf which has been locked in my bottom drawer for a good year or more, and head down for a beer and some buzz with the chance for some cup nostalgia, creating new memories, down the M1 where we pass plenty of others in red and white along the way.

My next door neighbour who's a Forest member got me a ticket, I'm also giving a lift to the father in law who's got his seat somewhere nearby, leaving at 11:30am, I'm driving down and parking pretty much outside the stadium, I can't be bothered with trains and buses and hanging around with thousands of drunks at Covent Garden or Baker Street.

Made it in good time, pulling up outside some factory for 2pm on Atlas Road, where we are charged £20 to park, it's a bit of a walk to anywhere good for a drink as we wonder past the steps at Wembley Way covered in red, there seems to be no City fans here, although it is their 28th time at the new Wembley, Forest have been here just once before, when they beat Huddersfield in the playoff final in 2022.

Eventually, we find a bar with plenty of red fans in the window at La Regina Restaurant which is underneath the St George's Hotel on Wembley Hill Road. It's a good atmosphere and not too busy, just a five minute walk from the stadium so we settle down with a seat and talk tactics whilst drinking from plastic cups.

The Venue

Supped up, a good half hour from kick off, we head down towards the stadium which is imposing and circular shaped, peering around tall buildings of newly built apartments, the arch in view between blocks with blue partially cloudy skies above.

We're up in the gods today, it matters not as it's all about the atmosphere, and being here, the third tier which is thankfully mostly escalators to the top, upon reaching the concourse we are greeted by everyone in good mood, wearing red, singing along some old Forest favourites in a fun party atmosphere.

We grab a quick drink and some chicken and chips which I take out a new mortgage for, then up the steps to row 44, just one off the back of the stand, last but one of the highest bit of Wembley you can go, Forest fans beneath joining in to sing Mull of Kintyre as City follow up with a rendition of blue moon.

I'm disappointed in Manchester City's following, they've been here so many times before it seems that half their supporters don't have any interest in attending today? But rumours of train tickets from Manchester costing over £200, tickets to the game from £50-70 upwards and the chaos of a London Marathon and even the boxing last night between Eubank and Benn at Spurs, you sort of feel sympathy, but it really deflates the atmosphere that they have only half filled their allocation.

The Game

That atmosphere soon deflates further after just one minute played, Mateo Kovacic finds Rico Lewis on the edge of the box, he has an age to get a shot away and put City in front with a low drive, the sky blues celebrate, suddenly all the noise is coming from their half-filled end.

Forest fans are quiet, flat, deflated, their side is too, struggling to keep the ball, plan A to sit off City, to make themselves hard to break down, then catch them on the break, has failed after just 90 seconds.

It's largely one way traffic as Pep Guardiola's side, who have struggled this season, suddenly look like their old confident world beating selves. They spray the ball around, not without the odd hiccup, but Kovacic and Silva dominate the midfield, Nico O'Reilly looks some player at left back too, supposedly a forward, he's big, technical, tough to get the ball off, he shields it well.

City do what City do which is keep possession to ensure the first half of this semi-final is one sided and largely uneventful, which leaves us no choice but to go down on 42 minutes to grab a drink and some more food, as I see a couple of old friends at the kiosk who have done the same.

The Score

Forest are without both their usual full backs and Ryan Yates, which severely hinders their chances against a City side who have Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Ilkay Gundogan and Jeremy Doku sitting on the bench. The Reds Manager Nuno gave a first start to teenage centre half Zach Abbott at right back, whilst benching the super speedy Anthony Elanga, which is a plan which looks to have backfired.

Elanga is brought on after half time and before we've even got back to our seat, rumour is he missed a good chance, but by the time we've reached the top of Mount Everest to return to our lofty pew, Matz Sels is forced into a good stop, the following corner is then swung in for the unmarked Gvardiol to head home, any slim hope of a comeback is quashed after just five minutes played.

That should flatten Forest's fire but a spirited second half display has them go close on a number of occasions, Morgan Gibbs-White crashes the bar with a wonderful left footed volley, before he smacks the upright from a City mistake, rounding the goalkeeper and hitting right footed against the post when it looked easier to score.

Late on from a corner the ball bobbles against the post again, but by now, City have switched their team around, so indeed have Forest, it's all about playing out the minutes and giving fresh legs some Wembley runouts, a prolonged finale until the whistle is called time on what really is the most routine of wins.

In the end the City fans are bouncing back to goal doing the Poznan, not much to see for them, they've seen it all before, as the Forest fans applaud their players off, it's a game where you can feel proud to be a red, but the gulf of class in them and City, is evidently huge due to the differences in squad depth.

The Stars

Mateo Kovacic was man of the match and strutted around in midfield breaking up play well for City, an underrated midfielder it seems when he plays well, without Rodri, City do well, perhaps he's not played well enough this season for City to be at their best?

Another player who's not played well enough this season, to his usual huge high standards, is Bernardo Silva, who I thought was exceptional in doing what he does best. Jack Grealish given a rare start doing ok too, whilst youngsters Rico Lewis and Nico O'Reilly proving they have what it takes to look comfortable against good honest Premier League opposition.

That honest opposition was on a couple of times indebted to their goalkeeper Sels, who has arguably been the best in the league this season, whilst Murillo and Milenkovic did well at centre back, they missed their regular help from Ola Aina and Neco Williams who were injured and suspended respectively.

One bright spark for Forest was Morgan Gibbs-White who huffed and puffed but couldn't break the woodwork barrier which he twice hit, he has a £60m price tag on his head, and is very much a player touted by City, as one that could be wearing sky blue next season?

The Verdict

I said ahead of Manchester City v Aston Villa who played in midweek, whoever wins this, will probably go on to finish third in the Premier League, and will most likely go on to win the FA Cup too... City beat Villa with a late goal by Nunes, and it seems to have given them an uplift in confidence. They now have an easy looking run in for the league where Champions League placing is top of their agenda, although I doubt Crystal Palace, a bogey side of theirs in recent years, will give them an easy a ride as Forest did, when it comes to the cup final.

Forest now face Brentford on Thursday night in what is a huge must win Premier League game to now save their season from self-destruct. The Reds have largely sat third during almost the entirety of the campaign, suddenly they are sixth with their Champions League dreams fading away, but on the plus, that is now sole focus, a dream that is still alive, they just need to have their best eleven on the pitch, if they are to do it.

The Teams

Nottingham Forest: Matz Sels, Zach Abbott (Ramon Sosa 83), Niko Milenkovic, Murillo, Harry Toffolo, Morgan Gibbs-White, Nicolas Dominguez (Jota Silva 82), Danilo (Anthony Elanga 46), Elliot Anderson (Ibrahim Sangare 71), Callum Hudson-Odoi, Chris Wood (Taiwo Awoniyi 71).

Manchester City: Stefan Ortega, Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Nico O'Reilly, Mateo Kovacic (Nico Gonzalez 89), Rico Lewis, Savinho (Phil Foden 81), Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish (Ilkay Gundogan 71), Omar Marmoush (Jeremy Doku 81).

4:30pm Kick Off. Sunday 27th April 2025, Wembley Stadium, London (att 72,967).