Forest performance showed there is still plenty to love about being in the Premier League

Nottingham Forest fans made their feelings clear as a chorus of boos drowned out the Premier League anthem before kick-off.

There have been many reasons for them to fall out of love with the top flight, not least controversial VAR calls and agonising waits to find out off-field punishments.

The verdict of Forest’s appeal over their four-point penalty for profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) is expected in the next few days. Fans might not be holding their breath for a positive outcome.

Some have questioned whether they even still want to be in the Premier League — with all the frustration, grief and feelings of victimisation that life in these surroundings has entailed lately.

There was protest and anger as the game against Manchester City got underway but, by the final whistle, the mood had been transformed.

Forest had reminded themselves of why they should love mixing in this company, playing Premier League football.

Forget everything that has dampened the spirits and embrace the feeling of what it is like to go toe to toe with one of the best sides in Europe, with Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva — and come out the other side of it feeling unlucky not to have got something.

Soak in the pure joy of watching your team up against the best without feeling that you did not belong.

With respect for the clubs of the Championship, days like these are what Forest fought for, for more than two decades, as they sought to secure a Premier League return.

Forest delivered a blunt statement outlining their frustration at the quality of VARs after being denied three penalties in the 2-0 defeat to Everton last week. At the City Ground, they delivered an equally strong statement of intent on the pitch.

The 2-0 defeat to City did little to aid their fight against relegation, with Luton Town and Burnley still trailing Forest by one and two points respectively. Their position remains perilous.

But Pep Guardiola will have departed in a relieved mood. “We suffered a lot but in the end, we will take it,” he said. “We were lucky today, they (Forest) missed chances because the pitch was so dry.”

This performance encapsulated much of what made Forest special under Steve Cooper, as they rose from the Championship before securing survival last season. It delivered pride and hope, and set the bar for those three vital remaining games.

As they head into those matches that will define their future — already relegated Sheffield United away, unpredictable Chelsea at home and a final-day trip to Burnley — Forest must put that sense that the world is against them to one side.

Forest remain a point outside the relegation zone (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)

If Forest can survive, they can press the reset button in the summer, hold an inquest into where things have gone wrong off the pitch and put a frustrating season behind them.

Forest drew 1-1 in this same fixture last season, without playing to the same level. This time, it would not have been an injustice had they won.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s game plan worked — he switched to a back three within a 3-4-3 formation that became a 5-4-1 out of possession.

Willy Boly’s return from injury, to make only his second appearance of 2024, was perfectly timed. He added experience and a refined sense of timing and positioning in the centre of defence.

Nuno knows Boly well from their time together at Wolves. While Murillo has flourished this season — and did again against City before going off with what Forest hope is a minor injury — Forest have badly missed Boly.

The formation also allowed Ola Aina to flourish at wing-back, from where he was a rampaging presence, frequently combining with Callum Hudson-Odoi down the left.

Aina (six) and Hudson-Odoi (five) delivered as many crosses as De Bruyne (five). Aina, at one stage, even beat Kyle Walker for pace, joining a club with a very small membership.

Forest created good chances, illustrated by their excepted goals (xG) of 1.64 compared to City’s 0.84.

Chris Wood scored an outstanding goal in this fixture last season but, despite eight goals in his previous 12 league games, the New Zealand international failed to convert two good chances and had another with which he might have expected to hit the target. When a poor clearance from keeper Edison fell for Murillo, it was a mystery how his effort cleared the bar.

Nuno’s reaction to #NFOMCI 🗣

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) April 28, 2024

There was frustration that Forest conceded their 23rd set-piece goal of the season — this time a corner, as Josko Gvardiol rose to head home at the near post — but Forest were temporarily down to 10 men following an injury to Neco Williams, with substitute Gonzalo Montiel still preparing to come on.

Injury was also a factor in City’s second as a struggling Murillo, who was withdrawn shortly after, could not keep up with substitute Haaland when the striker powered his way into the penalty area before rolling a simple finish inside the post.

Relegation to the Championship would almost certainly see Forest enjoy victory more often and also probably challenge at the right end of the table.

But days like this should remind them that there is still plenty to love about being in the Premier League — and that, in the coming weeks, it is still something worth fighting for.

Forest’s remaining fixtures: Sheffield United (A) May 4; Chelsea (H) May 11; Burnley (A) May 19

(Top photo: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)