Nottingham Forest drew 0-0 with Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Saturday. The result kept the Reds fifth in the Championship and keeps confidence high going into Wednesday’s game with QPR.
Forest played for over half an hour with 10-men against the Robins. Ryan Yates was dismissed for a shocking challenge on Adam Nagy after 57 minutes.
The Reds once again showed immense resolve, however. Sabri Lamouchi saw his side stand firm to stop Bristol City having a single shot on target.
One of the defensive success stories of the 2019/20 campaign so far has been the form of Brice Samba. The Congolese stopper has looked calm and composed whenever he has been called upon.
On Saturday, Samba captured the hearts of Forest supporters – but not for his goalkeeping per se.
The 25-year-old produced a superb Cruyff turn to completely bamboozle Famara Diedhiou. It left Forest fans amazed as a stunning piece of footwork from the goalkeeper and further enhanced the love for Samba.
Samba signed for the Reds from Caen, costing just £1.9 million (Nottinghamshire Live).
It is years since Forest had a goalkeeper deemed so reliable. He is composed and assured coming for crosses and is extremely quick across his line.
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The shutout at Bristol City was his seventh of the campaign in all competitions and Samba has been the catalyst to a new-found defensive resolve.
First choice
On current form, he is very much the established number one goalkeeper. Aro Muric on loan from Manchester City has been dispossessed by Samba and he can have few complaints.
Samba looks like being a vitally important part of the team going forward. Lamouchi has made the bold decision to make him his number one stopper and it’s paying dividends.
This latest piece of showboating highlights the confidence of the man. It’s not where he makes his money of course but nonetheless Samba’s stock is on the rise once more.
Here is a selection of Tweets from Forest fans in response to Samba’s moment of magic:
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