If you had toldNottingham Forestfans in August that a point in their penultimate home game of the season would guarantee them European qualification, most would have bitten your hand off. Now, however, after it looked as if Chris Wood’s diving header had lifted them into fifth place, Facundo Buonanotte’s late equaliser means that Champions League qualification is out of their hands.
Qualifying for the Europa League (or Conference League) is no mean feat for Nuno Espírito Santo’s team but, having been sitting pretty in third place for the middle part of the season, it seems like a comedown now. Certainly that seemed to be Evangelos Marinakis’s reaction as the Forest owner strode on to the pitch at full time to have a few choice words with his manager.
With only one win in their past seven games, Forest’s season is in danger of subsiding. And it almost finished even worse for them against their already-relegated East Midlands rivals. On a Vardy-inspired breakaway, Jeremy Monga, the 15-year-old substitute, saw his 20-yard shot tipped aside by Matz Sels.
The terrace banter had been good in the early stages. Chants of “Stevie Cooper” rang around three-quarters of the ground as the Forest fans celebrated the former manager who brought them up from the Championship before playing a part in helping take Leicester back there.
If culpability lies with the manager, however, Ruud van Nistelrooy has played a bigger role. At least Leicester were above the relegation zone when Cooper, with 10 points from 12 games, was dismissed in November; the current manager gained 11 points from his 22 matches in charge before this game.
The City Ground was awash with sunshine and optimism at kick-off. Chelsea’s defeat at Newcastle United had passed the opportunity to claim fifth place back to Forest, not least as Enzo Maresca’s team visit here in a fortnight, minus the suspended Nicolas Jackson.
So it was something of a surprise when Leicester took the lead. When a long throw was only partly cleared by Neco Williams to the penalty area D, Bilal El Khannouss left fly with a tricky shot that became trickier with a deflection off Chris Wood. Matz Sels did well to parry the ball out but there was Conor Coady to head home the rebound for his first league goal for Leicester.
Forest, for whom Wood shot or headed just over or wide three times in the first period, were soon level however. When Luke Thomas fouled Antony Elanga, the winger floated in the free-kick from which Morgan Gibbs-White headed down and in for his sixth goal of the season. That should add a few hundred thousand to his asking price as and when Manchester City come back knocking.
The Leicester fans responded by unleashing out one of their favourites. “Champions of England, you’ll never sing that,” they chanted. Football fans are getting young these days. Were none of them born before thePremier Leaguestarted? Anyway, Forest fans came back with: “Champions of Europe … you’ll never sing that.”
Forest increased their intensity after the interval. Nicolas Dominguez twice went close, narrowly missing Ibrahim Elanga’s cross before diving in to head another chance straight at Jakub Stolarczyk, as Leicester became stretched.
Sign up toFootball Daily
Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football
after newsletter promotion
Forest had been reasonably in the first half, playing better than they did against Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley or the 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace, but the absence of Callum Hudson-Odoi to provide pace on both wings did hint at an over-reliance on Elanga to open things up.
So when Morgan Gibbs-White found space in the inside-right channel, Wood’s eyes lit up. The captain’s delivery was sumptuous: swerving, with the right pace, at the right height for Forest’s top scorer to wait his moment as he ran in towards the far post, keep his eyes on the ball before diving in to head into the near corner for his 20thgoal of the season.
Everyone knew Vardy needed one more goal for his 200thfor Leicester but when he received an angled pass and half a sight of goal on the edge of the penalty area 19 minutes from time, he cut inside as he seldom would have done at his peak and the chance fizzled out.
However, Leicester were not done. Vardy, back to goal, receiving to feet, flicked a pass on for Facundo Buonanotte, who weaved into the Forest area, beating two defenders, before shooting past Selz for his sixth goal of the season. For Forest’s Champions League, that could be thank you and good night.