Sunday was always going to be a crucial game for Nottingham Forest. Defeat at the weekend means it has taken on added importance.
It is still not the be-all and end-all. The Reds will neither be on a slippery slope which they cannot get off if they lose, nor guaranteed survival if they win.
But there’s no escaping the feeling the clash with Everton has now taken on the mantle of Forest’s biggest match of the season so far. Not because it alone will decide their fate, more because of the impact it can have ahead of the run-in - both psychological and on the Premier League table.
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The Reds’ travel sickness, which continued with their 4-0 collapse at West Ham United, is putting extra pressure on picking up results at home. With some particularly tough away games to come - against Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Brentford, Chelsea and Crystal Palace - maintaining their excellent form at the City Ground is going to be key.
The manner in which Steve Cooper’s side folded at the London Stadium was a concern. It was a horrible throwback to collapses earlier in the season.
Forest need to bounce back; to show that they haven’t reverted to previous bad habits. They need to put what happened in the capital behind them, quickly; learn from it, ensure it doesn’t happen again, but don’t let it linger.
The players have recovered well before when on the wrong end of some rough results. They are unbeaten in eight league games at the City Ground. They are also still well placed in the table - seven other teams would certainly no doubt happily swap positions.
But they will know things can quickly change, for better or worse. Everton are only four points behind, in 18th spot. Come full-time on Sunday, one way or the other, the picture could look very different.
Victory for the hosts would give them a little more breathing space. Should the visitors take the points, though, then all of a sudden, nerves will start to be a little more frayed.
There will still be plenty of twists and turns to come after that. But with games against Spurs and Newcastle before the international break, an immediate response to last weekend’s defeat would be particularly welcome.
When the season paused for international fixtures at a similar time last year, the Reds returned with a brilliant finish to the campaign and a particularly strong April. This is a completely different scenario, but still requires calm and composure - and this April could prove just as defining again.
Given how close it is at the bottom end of the division, the battle to stay up is threatening to go to the wire. There will be plenty more twists and turns to come, with a need to handle the pressure. Forest and Cooper did that last term. They will need to do so again, starting with being in the spotlight on Sunday.
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