Nottingham Forest’s Carabao Cup campaign came to an end with a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Swansea City. Despite taking a 2-0 lead courtesy of Igor Jesus’ double, Forest crumbled in the final minutes, allowing Swansea to score twice in stoppage time and advance to the next round.
Postecoglou’s Reaction
- Disappointment: Ange Postecoglou expressed his disappointment with the team’s performance, particularly in the last half-hour of the game. “It was very disappointing. It was a game we were well in control of and we should have seen it out a lot better than we did.”
- Complacency: Postecoglou attributed the loss to complacency, stating that his players seemed to think the win would come naturally. “I just got a sense the players thought it was sort of just going to happen automatically – that we were totally in control of the game.”
- Lesson Learned: The manager emphasized that his team needs to earn success and can’t expect it to come easily. “We need to understand that we are going to have to earn everything we are going to get; it’s not just going to come to us.”
Key Moments
- Jesus’ Double: Igor Jesus’ two goals in the first half gave Forest a comfortable lead, but they failed to capitalize on their chances to extend the lead.
- Swansea’s Comeback: Cameron Burgess and Zan Vipotnik scored crucial goals for Swansea, with Burgess netting the winner in the 97th minute.
- Missed Opportunities: Forest had several chances to seal the win, including a disallowed goal from Arnaud Kalimuendo due to offside ¹ ².
Next Steps
With this defeat, Forest faces the challenge of regrouping and improving their performance in upcoming matches. Postecoglou’s team will look to bounce back and make progress in the league ³.
