Nottingham Forest lost to Manchester City in the FA Cup Final, in what was a very disappointing day for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, but an Anthony Elanga goal could’ve changed everything.
It was a nightmare start for the Reds. Rico Lewis netted with under two minutes played, meaning it was always going to be an uphill battle for Forest.
They made it to half-time, but unfortunately, City doubled their lead in the 51st minute thanks to a Josko Gvardiol header.
But it could have been so different, had Anthony Elanga buried his golden chance just minutes prior.
Nottingham Forest fans wanted Anthony Elanga to start
Elanga came on at half-time to inject some energy into the fixture, and he almost made an immediate impact. This had Forest supporters questioning why he wasn’t utilised from the off.
One said: ‘Imagine not starting Elanga on the biggest pitch in the country.’
Another said: ‘Nuno had to start Elanga today. Perfect for counter-attacking football.’
‘Really do not understand why we didn’t start with CHO and Elanga. Far too scared today Nuno,’ another ponders.
One more puts it bluntly: ‘Nuno not starting Elanga was very stupid.’
Nuno Espirito Santo wasted the first-half of the FA Cup semi-final
Without Elanga on the pitch, Forest did not look dangerous in attack, and the first 45 minutes were extremely poor.
The decision from Nuno not to start the Swede was definitely a strange one, and a decision that ultimately came back to bite Forest.
Now, the focus immediately switches back to the Premier League. Champions League is still definitely on the cards, and it would be a remarkable season for the Tricky Trees, regardless of FA Cup misery.
Receive a digest of our best Nottingham Forest content each week direct to your mailbox
