Nottingham Forest are in the semi-final of the FA Cup and in the running for Champions League qualification, but which to prioritise is a matter of discussion.
The race for the top four is incredibly tight as the likes of Newcastle and Chelsea continue to pick up positive results, but Nuno Espirito Santo will at least know that Forest’s fate is in their hands.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 3 |  Man CityManchester City | 34 | 18 | 7 | 9 | 66 | 43 | 23 | 61 |
| 4 |  ChelseaChelsea | 34 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 59 | 40 | 19 | 60 |
| 5 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 34 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 62 | 44 | 18 | 60 |
| 6 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 33 | 18 | 6 | 9 | 53 | 39 | 14 | 60 |
| 7 |  Aston VillaAston Villa | 34 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 54 | 49 | 5 | 57 |
| 8 |  BrightonBrighton | 34 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 54 | 53 | 1 | 51 |
Wayne Rooney doesn’t think Forest are ready for the Champions League despite the 33 games of evidence to prove otherwise. However anyone feels about it, though, European football back at the City Ground could change the projection of the club.
As a slight distraction, the Reds travel to Wembley for their first FA Cup semi-final since Forest lost the 1991 final. Mark Crossley saved a penalty in that final and has been revelling in the importance of the competition in the buildup to Sunday.
Mark Crossley on the value of FA Cup glory
Much has been made in the buildup to the game about whether Forest fans would prefer an FA Cup win or Champions League qualification. The answer is obviously both, but the debate about which is more important has split people across the sport.
There is little debate to be had in Crossley’s mind, though, who has spoken to the Daily Mail about his love for the FA Cup.
He said: “Winning that trophy [FA Cup] was everything because we knew what it meant to Cloughie [Brian Clough]. If it were a choice between the Champions League and winning the Cup this time, I’d take the Cup all day long.
“That final has still stayed with us a little bit. The club deserves that trophy in its cabinet. It’s all I wanted as a kid and it’s the one thing people always ask me about. They don’t ask me what it was like to play against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup. They ask me about Wembley.”
Crossley’s point is particularly poignant as Clough always wanted to win the FA Cup but never did. However, younger fans would argue that the competition has lost its value in recent times, potentially making Champions League qualification more valuable.
Callum Hudson-Odoi on the Champions League priority
An intense pre-season started Forest’s Champions League push, according to Callum Hudson-Odoi, who already has a winners’ medal from his time at Chelsea.
Perhaps because of this, the 24-year-old has told ITV Sport that his priorities lie with securing the Forest squad’s place in Europe next season if he had to pick between the two prizes.
He said: “Honestly, for me, I would say Champions League. The reason why I say that is […] to have that sort of football and the calibre of teams coming here every other week to play at the City Ground would be a crazy feeling.
“[…] But also, winning the FA Cup, […] I haven’t won that yet properly, so that would be nice, hopefully we can get that as well.”
Both would be amazing, so there isn’t really a wrong answer. Either would be a well-deserved recognition for the incredible work put in by the players and staff to reach a point where this debate is even possible.
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