Nottingham Forest Face Europa League Test After Near-Top Four Finish | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest defied all expectations last season and came close to securing Champions League qualification, only to fall short on the final weekend.

Guided by Nuno Espirito Santo’s iron fist, the Tricky Trees were part of the Premier League’s top four for the best part of the season but ran out of steam down the final stretch.

Only one point made the difference, sending fifth-placed Newcastle United back to Europe’s top table while relegating the City Ground outfit to the Europa League.

However, a seventh-place finish in the Premier League marked Forest’s best top-flight performance since they ended the 1994/95 season in third, representing a remarkable turnaround from their dismal 17th-place showing in 2023/24.

It’s been decades since Forest last played in Europe, and it’ll be up to Nuno to juggle the challenges of continental competition with the ever-demanding domestic championship.

Read on as we preview Forest’s 2025/26 season.

Nottingham Forest Fixtures

Forest ended last season with a heartbreaking 1-0 home loss to Chelsea and will aim to erase that memory when they take on Brentford on the opening weekend.

Their first away game of the season takes them to Selhurst Park to meet Crystal Palace, while the first high-profile match pits them against Arsenal immediately after September’s international break.

October and November won’t be kind to Espirito Santo’s side as they face Newcastle United (A), Chelsea (H), Manchester United (H) and Liverpool (A) during a season-defining six-round spell.

Boxing Day promises to be equally unpleasant, with Manchester City arriving at the City Ground. Forest’s 2026 calendar kicks off away to Aston Villa.

Another challenging patch awaits the Tricky Trees between late February and mid-March as Liverpool (H), Man City (A) and Tottenham Hotspur (A) line up in quick succession.

Forest’s season ends at home against a new-look Bournemouth side.

Manager

The third time was nearly the charm for Nuno last term.

After a decent four-year stint at Wolverhampton Wanderers, the 51-year-old flopped at Tottenham, casting doubt on his Premier League credentials.

However, Forest’s outstanding campaign in 2024/25 helped restore his reputation, even though they missed out on Champions League qualification by an inch.

Despite phenomenal results, Forest were not always enjoyable to watch, becoming notorious for their defensive-minded football and time-wasting tactics.

But the fact remains that the manager’s ‘the end justifies the means’ approach worked wonders.

Few Forest fans can complain after witnessing such dramatic progress under his pragmatic leadership.

Next on the agenda is proving that last season was more than just a one-off.

Transfers

It’s been a hectic summer for Forest.

Several key exits have forced the club’s hand, with Forest actively reshaping the squad to stay competitive ahead of their European return.

Anthony Elanga needed two seasons at the City Ground to establish himself as one of the most devastating wingers in the Premier League before earning a £55 million transfer to Newcastle.

Elanga was essential to Forest’s counter-attacking football, and the club couldn’t let his departure go unanswered, prompting the record-breaking arrival of Dan Ndoye.

The Tricky Trees shattered the club’s transfer record to sign the Swiss forward in a £37m deal.

Brazilian centre-forward Igor Jesus has joined the former European champions from Botafogo following an impressive season in South American football.

However, it will not be the last high-profile attacking addition. Forest are reportedly on the verge of signing Galatasaray’s Baris Alper Yilmaz in another big-money move.

Espirito Santo strengthened his defence by signing Jair Cunha from Botafogo, aiming for him to replace Andrew Omobamidele, who left for Strasbourg.

Other outgoing deals include Danilo’s £21.7m switch to Botafogo and Matt Turner’s transfer to Lyon. It’s also worth mentioning that Ramon Sosa has joined Palmeiras.

Long-serving left-back Harry Toffolo has moved to Charlotte FC as a free agent.

Starting XI

Forest settled into a 4-2-3-1 formation last season and will likely line up in the same set-up in 2025/26.

Matz Sels was nothing short of world-class between the sticks. As such, he commands a guaranteed place in goal next term.

Ola Aina emerged as one of the best-performing right-backs in the Premier League, nailing down the right flank as his own.

Neco Williams was equally superb on the opposite side.

Nikola Milenkovic had a season of his life in his debut Premier League campaign, partnering with Murillo in the heart of Forest’s defence.

With this quartet forming the backbone of the Tricky Trees’ success in 2024/25, Nuno is unlikely to make changes at the back.

Captain Ryan Yates has tumbled down the pecking order, with Elliot Anderson and Nicolas Dominguez establishing themselves as regulars in the double pivot.

Morgan Gibbs-White has been the brain in the front third and looks set for an even more prominent role after snubbing Tottenham this summer in favour of a new contract at the City Ground.

Ndoye’s arrival should compensate for Elanga’s exit on the right wing, while Callum Hudson-Odoi will continue to provide creativity and pace on the left.

After netting 20 league goals last season, Chris Wood enters the new campaign brimming with confidence and ready to lead the line once again.

(4-2-3-1): Sels; Aina, Murillo, Milenkovic, Williams; Dominguez, Anderson; Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Ndoye; Wood.

Star Player

All eyes will be on Gibbs-White, who had a chance to join Tottenham but turned them down out of loyalty to the Tricky Trees.

Forest’s vice-captain scored seven goals and added ten assists in 34 Premier League games last term.

With Elanga gone, the 25-year-old’s numbers could rise. If Forest are to challenge high up the table this season, Gibbs-White will need to step up in a big way.

Prediction

It’s hard to shrug off the feeling that last season was nothing more than a fluke.

Forest punched well above their weight, riding momentum and tactical discipline to an unexpected finish.

However, Man Utd and Tottenham made their lives a lot simpler.

Since that’s unlikely to repeat, the Tricky Trees could be staring down the barrel of another season-long fight in the Premier League’s lower reaches.

Fighting on multiple fronts doesn’t work in their favour either.

Predicted finish: 13th.

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Read Next: Our full Premier League 2025/26 preview (with links to all individual Premier League team previews).