Ed Aarons was at the Amex tonight, and his report is in. Here it is! Congratulations to Forest, commiserations to Brighton, and thanks to you for reading this MBM.
Nuno Espírito Santo speaks to the BBC. “We are so so happy … such a stressful moment … to finish with the joy with our fans, we are delighted … Matz made a huge save that allows us to go … it is a huge moment for all of us … perfection doesn’t exist but we did really well … we controlled Brighton … we were dominant without the ball … we had real chances … credit for Brighton because they had chances … now we have to focus on the Premier League … but it will be a beautiful journey … a remarkable season.”
Nottingham Forest captain Ryan Yates, who sealed the deal, talks to the BBC: “I was a bit nervous to be fair … just so relieved it went in … Matz [Sels] saved two penalties and I just knew I had to capitalise and send us to Wembley … it has been an incredible season … we have achieved nothing yet … it will be a special day and I am so pleased for the supporters … overall I think we deserved it.”
At this point in an MBM we usually precis the entire match … but there’s really not a lot to be said about 135 distinctly uneventful minutes, and we only live once. Like Forest will care. Suffice to say Matz Sels made two big saves in the penalty shoot-out, while his opposite number Bart Verbruggen wasn’t able to make one. The hero of the hour, right there.
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RESULT: Brighton 0-0 Nottingham Forest (Forest win 4-3 on pens)
Yates and his team-mates are in raptures. Nottingham Forest are in the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 1991! They cavort in front of their fans. Nuno performs a passionate fist-pump. “We’re going to Wembley!” trill the Forest supporters. Brighton’s honour their fallen heroes with a chant of “Albion! Albion!” as their wait for a first major trophy goes on. Forest are one step away from their first FA Cup final since 1991, and two from their first win in the competition since 1959!
Nottingham Forest win 4-3 on penalties
PENALTIES: Brighton 3-4 Forest. Now it’s Forest’s captain. Yates fires powerfully into the bottom left, and Forest are going to Wembley! They’re in the semis. Yates races up the other end to celebrate with his fans.
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PENALTIES: Brighton 3-3 Forest. Brighton captain Dunk needs to score. Like Milenkovic before him, he slots beautifully into the bottom right. Sels went the correct way but had no chance of reaching the perfectly placed kick.
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PENALTIES: Brighton 2-3 Forest. Milenkovic whips nervelessly into the bottom right. Verbruggen guesses well but still can’t get there. Tucked right into the corner.
PENALTIES: Brighton 2-2 Forest. Gomez kisses the ball before placing it on the spot. He catches it well … but batters it straight at Sels, just a little left of centre! Great reaction by Sels.
PENALTIES: Brighton 2-2 Forest. Williams looks confident … but leans back and blazes over the bar! Back to parity.
PENALTIES: Brighton 2-2 Forest. Hinshelwood goes for the bottom right … but it’s a scuffer. Sels guesses correctly and blocks easily. Advantage Forest!
PENALTIES: Brighton 2-2 Forest. Hudson-Odoi, who scored the winning penalty against Ipswich in the last round, whistles his into the top left after a rat-a-tat run-up. Nerveless!
PENALTIES: Brighton 2-1 Forest. Gruda takes a short run-up. A blow-out of the cheeks. Nervous? No way. He sidefoots calmly into the bottom left, Sels given the eyes and sent the wrong way. Great pen.
PENALTIES: Brighton 1-1 Forest. Anderson first up for Forest. He slots into the bottom right, having sent Verbruggen the wrong way.
PENALTIES: Brighton 1-0 Forest. The spot kicks will take place in front of the Brighton fans. Forest’s support stuck up the other end. Joao Pedro to take the first one. He whips it into the left-hand side of the net. Sels guesses correctly but had no chance.
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The second half was better than the non-event of the first. And extra-time was better than all of that. But these have not been high bars to clear. It’s just not happened for anyone in front of goal tonight. We’ll get some net-bothering action now, though. Both players get in their huddles as they prepare for penalties. Verbruggen and Sels prepare to become the star.
EXTRA TIME, FULL TIME: Brighton 0-0 Nottingham Forest
Penalties it is!
ET 30 min +1: Anderson tries to release Elanga with a long rake down the middle. Van Hecke reads the danger and intercepts. Joao Pedro tries to tee up Gruda, who slips and claims a penalty, but come on. The referee not interested.
ET 30 min: Joao Pedro tries to work space for a shot on the edge of the Forest box, but Anderson blocks. Forest hanging on a bit here at the very end. There will be one extra minute.
ET 29 min: Gibbs-White makes way for Morato.
ET 28 min: Brighton get the ball into the net! Baleba sends a diagonal ball towards Estupinan, in the clear in the Forest box to the left of goal. Estupinan heads across the face of goal. Joao Pedro pokes home from close range, but it’s not going to count. Estupinan was clearly offside when Baleba started the move. Nobody really celebrates or complains.
ET 27 min: Gomez’s delivery isn’t all that, but the ball deflects off the Forest wall and out for a corner on the left. Estupinan trots across to take it, then fails to beat the first man. Pretty much everyone running on empty here. Penalties might be interesting.
ET 26 min: Joao Pedro dribbles down the inside-right channel and draws a foul from Murillo. A light tug on the shirt and not much contact, but enough for the ref to blow his whistle. Murillo too tired to argue the toss. Just a grimace. A free kick just to the right of the Forest D.
ET 24 min: Gruda is the latest to go into the book for a cynical tug on an in-flight player. Silva the victim this time.
ET 23 min: Anderson lumps a simple pass down the middle. Van Hecke hesitates, 12 yards out, under the high ball. Silva nearly nips in ahead. Silva extends a leg to poke something goalwards. The ball deflects wide right. Nothing comes of the resulting corner. Both teams are being betrayed by their nerves now.
ET 22 min: Estupinan opts to go directly for goal, aiming for the near post. Always wide. What a waste.
ET 21 min: Adingra advances down the right. Williams sticks out a leg and earns himself a booking. A free kick just outside the box, in a very dangerous position. Estupinan prepares to curl it into a packed Forest area.
ET 20 min: Adingra pearls a shot-cum-cross goalwards from the right. Sels gets in the way again. Brighton turning up the heat.
ET 19 min: Gruda barges down the inside-right channel and cuts back from the byline for Gomez, who aims a fine header towards the top right. Sels acrobatically tips over the bar, then claims Estupinan’s corner. Great football all round!
ET 18 min: Minteh goes down with cramp. He’s really feeling it. He gets back up, but doesn’t move around with any confidence.
ET 17 min: Adingra again from the right. His looping cross falls to Gomez, six yards out. A huge chance, but he’s racing in to meet the ball at speed and takes a fresh-air swipe! Forest breathe again.
ET 16 min: Brighton immediately on the front foot. Adingra’s cross hits Yates. A claim for handball and a penalty. Nothing doing.
Brighton get the second period of extra time underway. Joao Pedro waves his arms around to encourage the home fans to make some noise. His wish is granted.
EXTRA TIME, HALF TIME: Brighton 0-0 Nottingham Forest
A Brighton free kick on the right touchline. Estupinan hits it long. Dunk harmlessly clanks a header wide left, and the whistle goes for half time in extra time. Out comes Fabian Hürzeler wielding a whiteboard. Beneficial tactical advice ahoy!
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ET 15 min: Gruda advances down the right and is unceremoniously – but legally – stopped by Williams’ crunching tackle. Williams celebrates the intervention in the modern style. Nothing comes from the resulting corner, the whistle going for a Brighton shove before Hinshelwood eyebrows home past a static Sels, play long stopped.
ET 13 min: Adingra crosses from the right. Gomez tries to win a header at the far stick but only succeeds in knocking over Aina. Sels really hasn’t had too much to do this evening.
ET 12 min: Baleba drops deep and attempts a cute reverse pass down the inside-left channel, hoping to release Minteh. Not quite. It sails through to Sels, but full marks for vision and ambition.
ET 10 min: Elanga curls a cross in from the left. With Gibbs-White lurking, Dunk and Estupinan accidentally nut each other. Dunk goes down and receives the quick once-over. He’ll be OK to continue.
ET 8 min: Gruda finds Gomez down the inside-left channel. Gomez spins and shoots, but his effort it blocked by Milkenkovic. Minteh floats a harmless cross from the left onto the top of the goalnet.
ET 7 min: Gibbs-White ships possession cheaply to Gruda, who races off upfield, team-mates on either side. Yates puts a stop to the counter with a cynical tug from behind. Out comes the inevitable yellow card, which the Forest captain greets with a knowing thumbs-up.
ET 6 min: Forest replace Dominguez with Silva.
ET 4 min: Estupinan slips a gorgeous pass down the inside-left channel to release Gomez into the Forest box. He’s got time to shoot, but takes one touch too many, and he’s crowded out. Things opened up for Brighton there, but Gomez wasn’t quick enough to take advantage. He covers his mouth with both hands. He knows that was a great chance.
ET 2 min: Aina takes an age over a throw, suggesting his extra-time performance won’t be an energy piece.
Forest get the first half of extra time underway. The hosts have now been able to replace the stricken Webster, using their bonus extra-time substitution window to send on Dunk. “Ayari didn’t score or assist but he can console himself with a start and getting stuck in (like a cartridge).” Peter Oh, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here all week. Try the ColecoVision, it’s a much better system.
FULL TIME: Brighton 0-0 Nottingham Forest
Extra time coming up. Maybe even penalties. We’ll get some prime-time Saturday-night light entertainment one way or another.
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90 min +10: Elanga dribbles dangerously down the left and cuts back for Gibbs-White, who tries to chop his way into a pocket of space before shooting. He doesn’t manage to complete the first part of that plan, so doesn’t get to try the second.
90 min +9: Yates buys a ticket to the raffle, lashing at a loose ball on the edge of the Brighton box. It flies harmlessly over the bar.
90 min +8: … so with all of that in mind, Webster limps back on, to make a nuisance of himself if nothing else, in the 1950s cup-final style.
90 min +7: Webster trudges off, and can’t be replaced because while Brighton still have a sub left, they’ve utilised all three of their substitution windows. Brighton will end this match – or at least regulation time - with ten men. They’ll be able to send someone on during extra time, if we get that far.
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90 min +6: Before play can restart, Webster goes down feeling his hamstring. This period of added time is going to go well past the eight minutes.
90 min +4: Aina one-twos at warp speed with Dominguez down the right. A barrelling run that takes him past four players and to the byline. An accidental touch nearly runs the ball out of play, but he still manages to pull back for Gibbs-White, who gets a downward header on target. Van Hecke sweeps clear before the ball can nestle in the bottom right. What a weird but fun goal that would have been.
90 min +2: Anderson barges his way down the left, only to be stopped by Gomez’s hanging leg. A free kick. Everyone lines up on the edge of the box. Gibbs-White sends the free kick towards the far stick. Murillo meets it, six yards out, but can’t get any significant contact on the ball. A big chance spurned.
90 min: Hudson-Odoi glides in from the left but his shot from the edge of the box is blocked the nanosecond it leaves his boot. There will be a minimum of eight additional minutes.
88 min: Dominguez is booked for an overly theatrical response to conceding a garden-variety free-kick in midfield. Completely unnecessary, but when the lid rattles, the lid rattles.
87 min: Minteh tries to zip through a gap down the right but Hudson-Odoi closes the door just in time. Brighton doing most of the last pushing here.
85 min: Gruda dribbles neatly down the right, enters the box and cuts back from the byline. Minteh tries to tee up Adingra but Milenkovic nips in to clear. For a split second, Forest were all over the place there.
83 min: A ratcheting-up of tension is palpable as extra time looms. Both teams are still searching for what would surely be the winner, but in slightly ginger style. Nobody wanting to commit too much in attack, or make the crucial slip-up.
81 min: It’s game over for Ayari. Phrasing specifically designed to keep Peter Oh of 24-minute fame entertained. He’s replaced by Gomez.
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79 min: Elanga skitters down the right touchline this time, and nearly dribbles his way past Webster, who had committed himself rashly. But there’s not much pitch to play with by the time the defensive challenge comes in, and in skipping past it, Elanga runs the ball out for a goal kick.
77 min: Elanga zips down the left and whistles a low cross through the six-yard box. Gibbs-White very nearly connects with the ball at the far stick. Just missed. He doesn’t miss the post, though, and takes a sore one as he clatters into it. Thankfully once the sting of impact subsides, he’s good to continue.
75 min: Rutter hobbles off awkwardly, in some pain, to be replaced by Gruda. Then the corner’s taken, and it’s a non-event.
74 min: Before it can be taken, Rutter requires some treatment, having caught his studs in the turf while attempting a turn. He doesn’t look comfortable. An enforced change coming up, minutes after Brighton made two big swaps up front.
72 min: Gibbs-White drives down the inside-left channel before slipping a pass to Elanga, who attempts to flick home from the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. Verbruggen stands firm to block and turn the ball around the post for a corner.
71 min: It’s Brighton’s turn to make a double change. Welbeck and Mitoma are replaced by Joao Pedro and Adingra.
70 min: That’s got the crowd going all right. Forest and Nuno the pantomime villains right now.
68 min: The Yates claim has been double-checked as well, and while Webster brushed his opponent, there wasn’t any serious contact. Nuno and his assistants are livid, and tell it as they see it, with some feeling. The fourth official isn’t moved. All of that seems about right.
VAR: No penalty
66 min: The referee performs the TV-screen mime, then announces that there’s been “no foul committed by the defender, the restart is a dropped ball to the goalkeeper.” It’s the right call. Anderson pulled the ball back as Mitoma slid across him, and then stood on the Brighton man’s arm before going over.
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65 min: Anderson appeared to step on the sliding Mitoma’s arm … and the VAR has asked the referee to go over to the screen and look at this again. This should be overturned.
Penalty to Forest
63 min: Elanga curls the resulting free kick into the mixer. Verbruggen punches clear. Yates goes down and wants a penalty. The referee isn’t interested. As play goes on, Anderson tries to skin Mitoma down the right, entering the box along the byline. There’s contact, and Anderson goes over. The referee’s happy to award this one. Brighton livid!
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62 min: The first booking of the evening as Estupinan slides in recklessly on Dominguez. It wasn’t the best challenge, even if he did slip a little going into it. Quite a lot of force, and he can have no complaints. Thankfully Dominguez is back up again soon enough, and nobody’s made a big deal of it.
61 min: Forest make a double change, replacing Awoniyi and Danilo with their rested dangermen Elanga and Hudson-Odoi.
60 min: A break in play so Minteh and Ayari can break their Ramadan-observing fast. A chance for both managers to issue some tactical advice as well.
58 min: Mitoma one-twos his way down the left with Ayari, before hitting a cross-cum-shot that nearly falls to Minteh, rushing in from the right. Not quite. This is so much better from Brighton, though. Fabian Hürzeler must have given them the what-for at half-time.
56 min: … Hinshelwood meets Estupinan’s delivery from the right by flashing a header wide left. He should have left it for Van Hecke, just behind him and facing the correct way.
55 min: Aina bundles an in-flight Mitoma to the floor. A free kick just to the left of centre. Everyone lines up on the edge of the Forest box. Ayari floats it towards Van Hecke at the far stick. Van Hecke prepares to nod goalwards but Yates gets in the way to deflect the ball out for a corner. And from that …
54 min: A long pass down the Forest left. Awoniyi barges Van Hecke out of the road with great feeling, but isn’t able to burst clear into the box. Nothing comes of the move, which is probably just as well because the Brighton fans were seriously displeased with the challenge. File it under old-fashioned.
52 min: Minteh turns on the jets and attempts to burn his way past Williams on the right. He nearly wins the duel as the pair enter the Forest box, but Williams holds his line and goes over the minute he feels contact from behind. Free kick, pressure over. But there’s another example of Brighton having upped the tempo. Just as our friend Kári Tulinius called for.
51 min: Now Mitoma crosses from the left but it’s easy pickings for Sels. There’s already been more action in the first five minutes of the second half than there was in the entirety of the first.
49 min: Forest go up the other end, Danilo and Awoniyi combining well down the left before the ball’s cut back to Gibbs-White, who sends a drive straight at Verbruggen. It might be going over, but the keeper tips over the bar anyway, just in case. Nothing comes of the resulting corner.
47 min: … Brighton go close. Ayari’s delivery is half cleared. Mitoma returns the ball to Ayari, who finds Rutter just inside the box. Rutter spins and lashes a rising shot from a tight angle on the left inches over the bar. Had that been on target, Sels would have needed a strong hand to keep that out.
46 min: Brighton already look more energised. Baleba and Welbeck combine down the inside-left channel to win the first corner of the second half. From which …
Brighton get the second half underway. No changes. “So far, the match has mostly been played at walking pace, which suits Nottingham much better than Brighton,” suggests Kári Tulinius. “If the Seagulls can’t figure out how to up the tempo, they will continue to struggle for space. They’ll need a moment of genius, or eventually Forest will score a goal from a set piece or a counter-attack.”
Looks like the lens of the expensive-looking goalside camera bothered by Baleba’s powerful drive has been sheared clean off. Pity the poor photographer, who is nevertheless having a wry chortle about his misfortune with a pal, a piece in each hand. At least he shouldn’t have any problem processing his insurance claim, everything was captured live on national television. There are witnesses.
Half-time cup-themed entertainment. Courtesy of the newly crowned SJA columnist of the year and popular culture commentator of the year. We spoil you.
HALF TIME: Brighton 0-0 Nottingham Forest
Onwards and upwards.
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45 min: Anderson’s half clearance is met by Baleba, who chests down and from the edge of the D, creams a shot inches wide of the right-hand post. The ball smashes into a camera, sending it flying and possibly necessitating some repairs. The nearest either team has come to a goal.
44 min: Mitoma hangs a leg across Dominguez and steps on his toe. Nuno not happy. Still a little residual annoyance from September’s brouhaha.
42 min: Minteh curls long from the right. Sels claims an awkward ball at the far stick with Mitoma lurking.
41 min: That was some proper alpha defending from Milenkovic, who took control of what momentarily looked a dangerous situation. Mitoma held off with ease.
39 min: Rutter drops deep, swivels in the centre circle, and wedges a glorious pass down the middle to release Mitoma. But Mitoma can’t get the ball out from under his feet, and suddenly Milenkovic arrives to swat Mitoma aside and usher the ball back to his keeper.
37 min: Baleba goes long down the left. Mitoma scampers after it but Murillo comes across to make sure he can’t take up possession. Rutter then nearly intercepts a clearance but the ball pings back to Sels. This is not a classic in the making.
35 min: Some untidy play from both teams, just outside the Brighton box. Anderson finally imposes some order, sending a pass wide right for Gibbs-White, who then whistles a low cross through the six-yard box. Awoniyi slides in but gets nowhere near to connecting.
33 min: Estupinan comes straight through the back of Yates, who was shielding the ball out on the Forest right. He’s slightly fortunate not to go into the book.
32 min: It’s Estupinan’s turn to launch a speculative effort from long range. The ball swerves all over the place and Sels makes a meal of parrying clear. But the keeper does just enough.
31 min: Van Hecke looks long down the middle. Ayari eyebrows on for Mitoma, but Milenkovic steps in to intercept. Small signs that Brighton are beginning to rise from their slumber. Small signs.
30 min: Van Hecke larrups a speculative ball down the right flank. Rutter chases after it, but isn’t getting ahead of Williams, so tugs him back by the shirt. It counts as an action in the final third, I suppose.
28 min: Ayari latches onto a loose ball and drags a long-distance shot wide right. In fact there was a nick off a defender. Nothing comes of the resulting corner, but that’s a little better from the hosts, who have otherwise achieved nothing so far.
26 min: Forest may not have scored yet, but their dominance has if nothing else quietened the home crowd. The away fans making all of the noise with some library-themed goading.
24 min: This is all Forest. Brighton can’t keep hold of the ball at all. “It’s too bad the Premier League only allows a maximum of two digits for shirt numbers,” writes Peter Oh. “If Brighton’s Swedish midfielder were to add two zeros at the end of his, Ayari 2600 could become an instant cult hero among video game enthusiasts of a certain (advanced) age.” Ah yes, when game consoles had wood panelling. And people have the nerve to say the 1970s was the decade taste forgot.
22 min: Forest have enjoyed 88 percent possession during the last five minutes. Most unBrightonesque all right.
21 min: Webster deals with this one.
20 min: Danilo wins yet another Forest corner down the left. This one isn’t dealt with by Van Hecke, and Mitoma is forced to put it out for a first Forest corner on the right. Anderson to take.
18 min: Baleba blooters a long ball down the right. Hoof. A proper John Smith’s tribute act. Minteh chases, but can’t get the better of Milenkovic. Most unBrightonesque.
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16 min: Aina bursts into space down the inside-right channel and feeds Awoniyi. From the right-hand edge of the six-yard box, Awoniyi drills a low shot goalwards from his tight angle. Verbruggen kicks away. The rebound falls to Williams, who can’t control in time to return with a second shot. Brighton clear their lines. Forest the better side so far, and that’s the first bit of serious action to prove it.
14 min: Mitoma skittles Gibbs-White near the centre circle. Murillo loops the free kick forward. Some head tennis. Then Danilo powers down the left and hooks back infield, but Hinshelwood is on point to intercept. Effort trumping art at the moment.
12 min: Gibbs-White sends Williams scampering down the left. Williams wins another corner. Danilo sends it in again. Van Hecke heads clear once more.
11 min: Awoniyi catches Van Hecke late. On first viewing it’s not a great challenge, but it’s side on, and the Forest man slipped slightly as he arrived on the scene. All accidental, to be fair, and Van Hecke doesn’t make a big deal of it. That happened near both benches, the folk within keeping their counsel and their cool. For now, anyway.
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9 min: Webster spreads a lovely diagonal pass towards Rutter down the inside-right channel. Rutter can’t quite take the ball in his stride. Had he managed to do so, he’d have been barrelling into the box and shooting. As it is, Murillo is able to come across and clank clear.
7 min: Verbruggen takes his sweet time over a simple clearance and nearly gets closed down by Danilo. He manages to kick upfield but only via a flick off the Forest player.
5 min: It’s pretty hectic during these early exchanges. Quite a few misplaced passes, both teams pressing like billy-o.
3 min: Van Hecke heads the corner away. Brighton avoid conceding a super-early goal that would have sent the nerves jangling in the wake of that seven-goal shellacking.
2 min: Williams works his way down the left and earns the first corner of the game off Rutter. Danilo wanders over to take.
1 min: Rutter jinks past Anderson down the right and is upended. Sixteen seconds on the clock. A reminder that Morgan Gibbs-White and both managers were sent off here last September.
Forest get the ball rolling. A huge roar of Albion. The away end giving it plenty as well.
The teams are out! A cracking atmosphere in Sussex by the Sea. The Seagulls in their blue and white stripes, the Tricky Trees in first-choice red. We’ll be off in a minute or two.
The BBC ask whether Fabian Hürzeler has mentioned that 7-0 shellacking to his players. “No … it’s always important to look to the reactions … big losses … negative experiences … we went through it … what makes us stronger … that’s the focus … reminder to do the basic things right … outrun the opponents … Forest have played like this against big teams like Chelsea and Liverpool … very defensive … transition moments … set pieces … we have to be alive in all phases … try to control the game … it will be a balance between everything.”
Nuno Espírito Santo, who has surprised a few by dropping Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi, speaks to the BBC. “The cup is a good chance for players who work so hard and don’t have minutes in the Premier League … players deserve moments … game by game … today is a tough one.”
So having already mentioned Gordon Smith, and at the risk of seriously testing the patience of Brighton fans … here’s a reminder of what happened when these teams last met, at the start of February.
Seagulls supporters can take some succour in not having lost at home to Forest since 2015, a sequence of five matches. The last time this particular fixture was played, in the Premier League last September, it all kicked off in a most entertaining fashion, with all the usual thinking-of-the-kids caveats.
To whet the appetite / summon up old demons, here’s how Brighton came so close in 1983. One of the great finals, and such a shame the replay was a competitive non-event. (No need for us to link to that and pour more salt into the wound, bringing up Gordon Smith again is more than enough.)
Meanwhile this is how Forest won the cup in 1959. Not such a classic, this one, and the Pathé summariser wants a clip around the lug for repeated references to “Notts”.
Both of these teams go into this early-evening quarter-final with the wind in their sail. Brighton are unbeaten in seven, a run that has included two wins over Chelsea, victory in the FA Cup at Newcastle, and a come-from-behind draw at Manchester City. Forest meanwhile are four without defeat, a sequence that has seen them frustrate title hopefuls Arsenal and beat champions City. Good luck calling this one.
Brighton make two changes to the starting XI named for the 2-2 draw at Manchester City. Danny Welbeck and Yasin Ayari replace João Pedro and Diego Gómez, who drop to the bench.
Forest make three changes after their 4-2 win at Ipswich. Ryan Yates, Taiwo Awoniyi and Danilo replace Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi, who drop to the bench, and the injured Chris Wood.
The teams
Brighton & Hove Albion: Verbruggen, Hinshelwood, van Hecke, Webster, Estupinan, Baleba, Ayari, Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma, Welbeck.
Subs: McGill, Dunk, Gruda, Joao Pedro, Adingra, Cashin, Gomez, O’Riley, Tasker.
Nottingham Forest: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Dominguez, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Yates, Danilo, Awoniyi.
Subs: Carlos Miguel, Morato, Sangare, Hudson-Odoi, Toffolo, Alex, Jota Silva, Elanga, Boly.
Referee: Peter Bankes (Merseyside).
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Preamble
“And Smith must score!” Brighton & Hove Albion dream of putting an end to 42 years of Peter-Jones-soundtracked yearning. So near and yet so far away from a first FA Cup. Nottingham Forest have won the thing before, of course, but you’d have to be of stately vintage to have witnessed the last time they did so, in 1959, Elton John’s cousin and all that, and there are even a couple of generations who’ll be too young to have seen Brian Clough’s close call of 1991. Both teams desperate, then. Both teams believing. Both teams certainly good enough to lift the old pot come May. But only one will remain standing by the end of the night, which could stretch as far as extra time and penalties if needs be. Kick-off is at 5.15pm. It’s on!
