Evangelos Marinakis Storms Pitch After Nottingham Forest vs Leicester Draw
In a dramatic turn of events at City Ground, Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis stormed onto the pitch after a thrilling yet frustrating 2-2 draw with Leicester City. The Greek shipping magnate and football club boss showed visible frustration as he made his way toward the technical area shortly after the final whistle, sparking reactions from fans, pundits, and the wider football world.
What’s Next for Nottingham Forest?
With just a few games left, Forest’s European dream is hanging by a thread. Nuno and his players will need to find answers quickly. Key players like Awoniyi may need to be assessed carefully, and defensive organization must improve immediately.
The club’s fans are growing anxious, and the incident involving Evangelos Marinakis storming the pitch after the previous game has only added to the drama surrounding the club.
Nuno Espírito Santo Admits Forest Frustration After Draw with Leicester: “We’re Not Solid in Defence”
Nottingham Forest’s top-four ambitions took another heavy blow after a frustrating 2-2 draw with already-relegated Leicester City, prompting manager Nuno Espírito Santo to publicly acknowledge his side’s dip in form and defensive weakness.
The result means Forest have now managed just one win in their last seven matches, a sharp decline that sees them drop to seventh place, behind Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Newcastle. The team sat third just a few weeks ago, 10 points clear of sixth.
Nuno Reveals Key Incident Involving Taiwo Awoniyi
One of the game’s turning points came in stoppage time when Taiwo Awoniyi collided with the goalpost and was visibly limping for the rest of the match. Despite the clear signs of discomfort, Awoniyi remained on the pitch after Forest had already used their final substitution.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Nuno clarified what led to the controversial decision:
“Football is emotions. It’s difficult to control, especially when we had so much expectation today,” he said. “There was confusion over the situation of [Taiwo Awoniyi]. We got information from the physios that he was okay to keep going, so we made the sub.”
Unfortunately for Forest, Awoniyi was unable to continue at full strength, effectively leaving the team a man down for the closing stages.
“We played the last 10 minutes almost with one man less. That causes frustration, it’s obvious,” Nuno added. “We didn’t have another stoppage to change him.”
Defensive Issues and Missed Chances Cost Forest Again
The Forest manager didn’t hold back in analyzing the performance, stating that his team is struggling at both ends of the pitch:
“We’re not playing good. We’re not solid in defence, we don’t shut teams down, and in the Premier League that is not good,” Nuno admitted. “I wish I could tell you why. Our main focus is to give solutions, but we’re not able to do it. That’s frustrating for us.”
He also criticized the nature of Leicester’s equalizer, suggesting that it came “outside the flow of the game,” implying Forest should have seen the result out after going ahead.
From Top Four to Top Seven: Forest’s Shocking Drop-Off
Forest’s alarming slide has been compounded by disappointing losses to teams lower in the table, including Everton and Brentford, both at home. The draw against a Leicester team that had only scored twice in their last six away games has only intensified pressure on the players and staff.
“I don’t know the reason,” Nuno confessed. “We can easily say it’s anxiety or nerves, but the players don’t transmit that. We feel it was in our hands, and now it isn’t.”
Despite still being mathematically in the race for European spots, confidence is fading, and Forest’s remaining fixtures are now must-wins if they want to stay in contention.