Nottingham Forest exited the Carabao Cup at the second round stage for the second successive season, losing 4-3 to Newcastle on penalties.
After Carlos Miguel saved Joelinton’s spot-kick, it looked as though Forest were in the ascendency – but misses from Ibrahim Sangare and Taiwo Awoniyi saw the Reds fall at the first hurdle.
However, this wasn’t a night for being miserable. Eddie Howe – desperate to win something at Newcastle – played a strong side, whilst Nuno Espirito Santo chose to shuffle his pack.
There were some really positive performances from a Forest perspective. So much so, that Espirito Santo now has a really tough job on his hands picking a team to play Wolves on Saturday,
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What Alan Smith said about Jota Silva like on Sky Sports
The Reds fell behind in this game after just 18 seconds. Some slack defending allowed Alexander Isak the freedom of Nottingham and after his shot was parried by Miguel, Joe Willock was on hand to score.
Forest dug deep though and pulled themselves level in the second half. A throw-in from Alex Moreno wasn’t defended properly by Newcastle and when the ball fell to Silva, he lashed an effort into the net via the post.
Smith was impressed and said live on Sky Sports: “He’s probably been the standout for Nottingham Forest. These types of finishes can sometimes go high and wide but he’s kept it down and it’s a great goal. A touch of Grealish about him and that’s a brilliant finish.”
Silva has given Espirito Santo a serious headache
The talented player signed from Vitoria in the summer gave a seriously good Premier League audition last night – and Espirito Santo now has a decision to make against Wolves on Saturday.
Naturally, Anthony Elanga, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Morgan Gibbs-White will make compelling cases to come back into the team. However, Silva’s showing has given some food for thought.
The player – who looks like Jack Grealish given a similar hairstyle – doesn’t play too dissimilar to the City trickster. He was a constant menace on the night and took his goal brilliantly well.
He was given the Man of the Match accolade on Sky Sports – with Who Scored sharing that sentiment. They showcased that he won four aerial challenges and managed five shots on the night.
Silva also swung in three crosses and he covered every blade of grass in the final third. His work rate was there for all to witness and he already looks like a very shrewd signing for the Reds.
Now, it will be fascinating to see what unfolds on Saturday when Espirito Santo names his team to face Wolves on Trentside.
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