Nottingham Forest’s hope of securing a UEFA Champions League spot took a major hit after a dramatic 2-2 draw with Leicester City.
The game outcome left owner Evangelos Marinakis fuming over a costly substitution error involving injured striker Taiwo Awoniyi.
With Forest pushing for a late winner, Awoniyi, who had only been on the pitch for minutes, collided with the post and was left hobbling. Despite initially being cleared to continue, the Nigerian forward was unable to play on, forcing Forest to finish the game with 10 men.
The confusion over Awoniyi’s fitness sparked an angry reaction from Marinakis, who stormed onto the pitch after the final whistle to confront manager Nuno Espirito Santo. He was visibly frustrated by the mishandling of the substitution, which may have cost Forest a vital victory in their top-four chase.
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Nuno admitted the mix-up post-match, telling Sky Sports: “There was confusion over the substitution. We were told Awoniyi could continue, but then he couldn’t, and we ended up a man down. That frustrates everyone.”
The draw leaves Forest seventh, one point behind Chelsea, with just two games remaining. With Champions League qualification now out of their hands, Forest must regroup quickly—starting with a must-win clash against Chelsea next week.
Taiwo Awoniyi(photo credit: Getty images)
For Marinakis and the fans, the frustration is understandable. After a season of progress, a simple substitution error may have just cost them a historic Champions League place.
West Ham United will host Nottingham Forest at the London Stadium on Sunday 18th May in the penultimate gameweek of the 2024-25 Premier League campaign.
While West Ham are currently loitering in 17th, Forest are pushing for Champions League qualification, with each point likely to be significant in these final games. The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League.
West Ham haven’t lost to Nottingham Forest at home since 1997, winning seven of their last eight games against Forest on their own soil.
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Only one of the two sides have scored in four of their previous five meetings, with the only anomaly being a 3-2 West Ham win in 2023. However, with Forest looking to secure Champions League football and West Ham looking to sure up their defence, a low scoring game could be on the cards.
