Nottingham Forest followed up a battling performance against Arsenal with a dismal display in Braga and a 1-0 defeat in the Europa League — a missed penalty, an own goal and a red card summing up the night. George Edwards was at the match
Ryan Yates’ post-match reaction to Nottingham Forest’s dismal display in defeat to Braga very clearly illustrated the issues at the club, with poor recruitment and a lack of personality seeing their Europa League and Premier League season continue to peter out.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Ryan Yates claimed Nottingham Forest “controlled the most part of the game”, while laughing off his match-defining own goal and stating the contest came down to “fine margins”.
As the players made their way off the pitch at full time, almost embarrassingly applauding the visiting support high to their right, the travelling contingent made clear to them just how diabolical and unacceptable their display was.
Despite Forest’s recent lacklustre displays, many supporters have tried to stay on board, made easier by having a local manager who understands the club and aligns with its values, but not one minced their words at full time.
As club captain and a Forest fan through and through, you’d think if anyone would understand just how deplorable Forest’s performance was it would be Yates, but his words seemed to condone the performance his side had just put in.
The Europa League is all Forest have left.
They have completely decimated their chances of doing anything remotely promising in the Premier League, and they have exited both domestic cups at the first time of asking against Swansea and Wrexham, without much of a fight. Europe is all that can save this season of terror, but nobody inside the club seems to understand that.
The game felt winnable if Forest had a desire to do so. Dyche made seven changes from the side who claimed a gritty 0-0 draw against Arsenal, an expected move given his rotation in Europe but a frustrating one as Forest search for consistency.
Why not keep the same team, or make as minimal changes as possible, and follow up that result with an exciting and dominant display, allowing confidence and consistency to build? Rather than follow up, Arsenal now looks like another false dawn, another ‘start’ that the Reds have failed to convert, extracting any kind of momentum gained at the weekend with a stagnant and frustrating display last night.
“Missed an opportunity that’s why we’re frustrated!”
Ryan Yates speaks on the ‘fine margins’ as Nottingham Forest were defeated away to Braga 🎙️
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK | @DannyJamieson pic.twitter.com/F9p58wGw9H
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 22, 2026
In the first half, it became evident Braga looked settled, not really looking threatened by Forest’s attacking play and creating the best chance of the half. An injection from the bench at the break is what sparked Forest into life at Wrexham two weeks ago, with the Reds once again crying out for a difference-maker to change their fortunes.
Even after going behind, it took 14 minutes for the cavalry to arrive in the 68th minute, Braga making three changes before Forest made a single one, looking more and more settled with the lead under their belts and Forest looking devoid.
Statistics may suggest Yates was right, and that Forest did control proceedings despite only having 43% possession, losing to a side who failed to muster a shot on target on the night thanks to his own goal on 54 minutes. But that moment could have been so different…
Less than a minute before the Estádio Municipal erupted in celebration, Morgan Gibbs-White spurned the chance to put Forest ahead from the penalty spot, a tame effort kept out rather comfortably by Czech goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek.
On the night, Gibbs-White was perhaps Forest’s best performer, their only consistent driving force surrounded by attacking players who didn’t seem to know where to be. But once again his game has been defined from the spot, missing his second consecutive penalty in the competition that has cost Forest an automatic place in the Europa League’s round of 16 phase.
His miss at Sturm Graz in November compounded Forest to a 0-0 draw, while going ahead against Braga would likely have knocked the stuffing out of the hosts, opening the game up and forcing them to be more expansive. It’s hard to predict what hasn’t happened, but it’s hard to think Forest wouldn’t have come out five points better off from those games had he converted — points that would see the Reds comfortably in the top eight rather than languishing in the playoff spots as they currently do.
As the spearhead of the side and often captain, taking responsibility from the spot seems the correct choice, especially as Chris Wood remains on the sidelines.
But Forest’s introduction to Gibbs-White was him missing from the spot and sending them to Wembley. It’s not a new issue, yet it keeps repeating itself.
Another reoccurring problem stemming from the match is the lack of threat down the middle, Dan Ndoye deployed up front as Igor Jesus missed out due to injury. Forest did have an in-form striker in the Europa League with two goals in his last two starts who would have been the ideal selection and the perfect problem solver, but instead Arnaud Kalimuendo is out on loan at Frankfurt, and Forest have been left optionless.
Upon sending the Frenchman away, especially with the knowledge Jesus — struggling to be a consistent threat even before injury — was then their only eligible fit striker in the competition, it was inferred a replacement was imminent. However, only yesterday did it emerge that Forest were closing in on signing 6ft7 striker Lorenzo Lucca on loan from Napoli, nearly 20 days since Kalimuendo departed.
The multitude of issues arising from last night could go on, and none of them are problems not seen before.
James MacAtee and Dilane Bakwa looking completely lost once again, failing to grasp yet another chance from the start. Nicolas Dominguez (despite his good form of late) ending up as Forest’s attacking midfielder as they chased the game. The defeat meaning Forest look dead set on being forced into two extra games to qualify thanks to their own doing, failing to beat yet another side who offered nothing but character and defensive resolve.
When it rains, it pours. Each travelling Nottingham Forest fan found that out during their wet and wild visit to Braga, their haunting season following them to Portugal in emphatic style, as what was billed to be their season of a lifetime continues to drift away in despair.
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