In the 22nd round of the Premier League, Nottingham Forest narrowly beat Southampton 3-2 at home. After the match, Forest's manager Nuno spoke to Sky Sports reporters and gave an in-depth analysis of the whole game.
Nuno said that the match is extremely tight and Southampton's athleticism is not to be underestimated: "We had a feeling that it would be a very tough game, and Southampton's performance is really strong. The competition in the EPL is getting hotter and hotter, and any team can have the last laugh in any game. The ending of this game reaffirms that and is a wake-up call for us."
Speaking about the proceedings, Nuno mentioned Erlanga's missed opportunity, "We had the chance to seal the win for good in the game, unfortunately Erlanga didn't capitalize on that crucial moment. Had we been able to seal the win, the outcome of the game would have been clearer."
Nuno was quite puzzled by the pace of the second half, "There were many lulls in the second half and neither team was able to flow. This situation tends to favor the team trying to turn it around because the pace of the game becomes intermittent, giving them a chance to catch their breath."
Nuno also spoke about the team's game management: "We have to give it our all for 90 minutes without letting up. Thankfully, the team is now able to better control the pace of the game. However, the second half did feel bizarre, with frequent stoppages, VAR penalties, and goals being canceled, all of which made it difficult for the spectators to understand the pace of the game."
Looking ahead to the upcoming game, Nuno said that the team needs to give their best: "Pressure is everywhere in soccer, and Southampton is also under pressure. But we can't let the pressure get to us, we have to focus on the next game. The game against Liverpool demanded more from us and we need to focus and play with intensity. Now we have to prepare everything for the game against Bournemouth, they were impressive yesterday and we can't take it lightly."
