It was a night that began with dreams of Istanbul and ended in a tactical nightmare. Nottingham Forest’s fairytale Europa League run came to a crashing halt at the semi-final stage on Thursday, as Vitor Pereira’s men were dismantled by a ruthless Aston Villa side.
While the Serbian Nikola Milenković took his fair share of criticism for a negligent penalty concession, it is the performance of Jair Cunha that has analysts questioning if he has played his last significant minutes for the club. On an evening where Forest needed defensive steel, Cunha’s display was characterized by a passivity that ultimately left the visitors exposed and unraveled.
A Night of Tactical Chaos
Forest entered the second leg with a slender 1-0 advantage and high spirits following a clinical 3-1 victory over Chelsea on Monday. However, the step up against their Midlands rivals proved too great.
The unraveling began when Emiliano Buendia carved through the Forest midfield to set up Ollie Watkins for the opener. Not long after, Milenković’s tug on Pau Torres’ shirt gifted Villa a penalty, which Buendia converted. But the true collapse occurred in a frantic three-minute spell where John McGinn struck twice, exploiting a gaping void on Forest’s left side—a space Cunha was tasked with protecting.
The Numbers: A “Pretty Ugly” Reading
When Pereira switched to a back three, Cunha seemed positionally lost. The statistics from his 88 minutes on the pitch reflect a defender who was physically and mentally second-best:
- Duel Success: 1/3 (33%)
- Tackles: 1
- Pass Success: 33/38
- Touches: 46
While his passing remained tidy, his defensive impact was nearly non-existent. In a high-stakes European semi-final, Cunha failed to take hold of the backline, looking every bit a player struggling under the weight of a relegation-threatened season.
Murillo’s Return and the Summer Window
With Murillo now back to full fitness, the writing appears to be on the wall. It is highly likely that Cunha will be relegated to the bench for this weekend’s crucial clash against Newcastle United.
As the summer transfer window approaches, Forest is already being linked with new defensive targets—including a reported £13m bid for a La Liga star. For Cunha, a night that was meant to be the pinnacle of his Forest career may instead be remembered as the moment the door began to close on his time at the City Ground.
The Ultimate Goal: Safety
There is no time for “European regret” at the City Ground. Despite the continental heartbreak, Forest has a massive opportunity to confirm their Premier League safety this weekend. A victory over Newcastle would provide the ultimate silver lining to a season that has been a rollercoaster of managerial shifts and survival battles.
Pereira must now decide if he can trust a “passive” defense to stand up to the likes of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon. If Thursday was any indication, the lineup on Sunday will look very different.
Inside the City Ground: The focus has shifted entirely back to the domestic front. With Murillo ready to reclaim his spot, the “Cunha experiment” in the starting XI may have officially reached its conclusion.
