Nottingham Forest defeated Derby County 2-0 in the Premier League Cup on Friday night, with Alex Mighten absolutely outstanding. The Reds won the game thanks to goals from Julian Larsson and Kyle McAdam and they’re now through to the last eight.
Derby fans could be forgiven for believing they might never see their team beat Forest ever again! The first team haven’t tasted a win over Forest since 2017 and this season the Reds have been superior at under-21, under-18 and women’s level.
Mighten was a surprise inclusion in the under-21 team on Friday night. He’s found things somewhat tricky this season, with Sheffield Wednesday terminating his loan deal early. Having already played for Forest during 2022/23, it meant he couldn’t head out on loan to another club.
The 20-year-old was magnificent on Friday though. He kept his levels of professionalism sky-high and it was almost unfair that Mighten was let out of the shackles against a very young Derby County side.
The academy graduate lined up in his natural position on the right. He also swapped on some occasions, with the coaching staff placing him on the left, allowing for him to cut inside and cause utter chaos.
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Mighten outstanding as Forest beat Derby
The youngster got his just rewards during the game. He was responsible for setting up Larsson to score the first Forest goal, with Mighten playing a delicious through ball for the Swedish striker to pounce and open the scoring.
It was perhaps a bad idea for Mighten to go out on loan to Sheffield Wednesday. Darren Moore utilises wing-backs and that was never likely to suit the natural winger in the Forest youngster.
He came on for the Reds during the opening-day defeat against Newcastle. Injuries also saw him make the bench for the 2-0 win over Leicester in January and he also got on the pitch against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup.
All Mighten can do for the remainder of this season is keep showing determination. Cooper is a big fan of Mighten and his time will come but for now, it looks like under-21 football will be the order of the day for the youngster.