Nuno Acknowledges Forest’s Form Struggles as a ‘Reality of the Game’ Before Arsenal Clash

Nottingham Forest’s manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, has acknowledged that his team’s recent struggles in their chase for a Champions League spot serve as a stark reminder of the “reality” of playing in the Premier League.

This season, Forest has emerged as one of the unexpected contenders, currently sitting in third place on the league table; however, their form has dipped lately, suffering three defeats in their last four matches.

In a shocking turn of events on Sunday, they conceded four goals in just 11 minutes against Newcastle, and they now face a daunting challenge as second-placed Arsenal make their way to the City Ground this Wednesday.

Despite these setbacks, Nuno urged for perspective, pointing out that there are still 12 league games left to play before the season concludes.

“This is the reality of the game; we must understand it’s part of our journey, with its ups and downs. It’s not always feasible to deliver strong performances,” Nuno said during a pre-match media briefing on Tuesday.

“At times, your opponent may simply be the stronger side. We need to accept that and keep moving forward. Now, it’s all about how we respond.”

The 51-year-old, who previously managed Wolves and Tottenham, added: “There’s still a lot of football ahead of us, plenty of possibilities lie in wait. We have a lengthy road to traverse.”

“This is the reality we face. We must recognise that the Premier League is incredibly challenging; all teams pose significant threats, and it’s not always possible to outperform them.”

“We focus on the next match; that’s what occupies our thoughts. From the very first minute, we aim to secure points, regardless of where we stand in the Premier League.”

As he looks towards the Arsenal fixture, Nuno stated: “Our goal is to enhance our performance and strive to be better than we were in our earlier games. We want to build a foundation that helps us through to the end of the season. This is what we aim to achieve.”

“We want to finish the match feeling we put in a solid performance against Arsenal and that we were the stronger side. That would be a significant positive for us.”