Nottingham Forest 2 Leicester 2: Nuno’s side fail to capitalise on Chelsea slip-up and lose ground in top five race

NOTTINGHAM FOREST booked their place in Europe for the first time in 30 years. 

But Leicester sub Facundo Buonanotte struck a late leveller to earn the Foxes a crucial point.

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Chris Wood looked to have won the game for Nottingham Forest[/caption]

PA

But Facundo Buonanotte weaved through the Forest defence to put a huge dent in their Champions League hopes[/caption]

AFP

Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo was seen arguing with club co-owner Evangelos Marinakis at the end of the game[/caption]

And Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis stormed onto the pitch at full-time to blast manager Nuno Espirito Santo!

Conor Coady gave Leicester the lead before the home side hit back with goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood.

However, Forest’s hopes of booking their place in the Champions League were dashed when Buonanotte struck a late equaliser to leave Nuno’s team seventh in the table.

And Marinakis singled out his gaffer for criticism as his side stumbled to just one victory from their last six Premier League games.

This was very much a must-win game for Forest against their already-relegated East Midlands rivals.

Roared on by an expectant full-house, they made a fast start and Wood might have had two goals inside the opening five minutes.

But the Kiwi striker fired an Anthony Elanga cross over on the half-turn. 

Then, from another Elanga delivery, he sent a back-post header over after James Justin misjudged the flight of the ball.

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And how Leicester made them pay for those missed opportunities as they stunned the City Ground by taking a shock lead after 16 minutes.

To make matters worse for Nuno, it was scored by his former skipper at Wolves as Conor Coady popped up with a rare goal.

The big central defender’s last goal came for Everton against Southampton way back in October 2022.

But you wouldn’t have guessed it as he showed a real poacher’s instinct to pounce inside the six-yard box.

Luke Thomas‘s long-throw was headed out by Neco Williams but only reached Kasey McAteer who nodded it into Bilal El Khannouss‘s path.

The Moroccan powered in a shot from 18 yards which Matz Sels could only desperately beat out.

And Coady cashed in to head the loose ball over the stricken goalie to give the Foxes an unexpected lead.

Suddenly, the mood inside the City Ground changed as the home fans fell silent and began to chew on their fingernails.

But unlike their last home defeat by Brentford, Forest’s players refused to be rattled and they hit back within 10 minutes.

Leicester were aggrieved at the award of a foul against Thomas, who played the ball but then held Elanga down.

And Elanga dusted himself down to deliver a peach of a free kick as he whipped in a cross which just cleared Jamie Vardy at the near post.

Morgan Gibbs-White was steaming in and rose unchallenged to power his header beyond Stolarczyk from six yards.

It was the Forest skipper’s sixth Premier League goal of the season and it steadied frayed Forest nerves.

James Justin was booked for flattening Elliot Anderson before Stolarczyk beat out a Dominguez shot and Wood failed to steer his header from the rebound on target.

And a busy first half ended with Vardy sending a flashing header over from Jordan Ayew‘s corner.

Forest piled on the pressure after the break and Nicolas Dominguez missed a couple of snips.

First, the Argentine midfielder failed to anticipate Ibrahim Sangare’s delicious cross as he was caught on his heels.

Then he sent a diving header into Stolarczyk’s waiting arms when he should have scored after Elanga’s cross came off Wout Faes’s back.

But Forest took the lead just before the hour with a stunning goal from Wood just before the hour.

Huge credit must go to Gibbs-White, who caught Leicester out with an absolute peach of a cross.

His deep delivery flew over Coady and Justin and Wood dived in to beat Stolarczyk with a diving header from 10 yards.

It was the striker’s 20th Premier goal of the season – his best ever total for a season.

But Leicester refused to accept defeat and they stunned the home crowd by drawing level nine minutes from the end.

Jamie Vardy played the ball off to Facundo Buonanotte who burst inside Morato and fired a low shot beyond Sels into the far corner.

Forest tried to hit back and sub Taiwo Awoniyi crashed against the far post as he tried to get on the end of Elanga’s cutback.

But Forest were living dangerously and it took a brilliant save from Sels to deny Jeremy Monga a last-gasp winner.