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Nuno Espírito Santo paid tribute to goalkeeper Matz Sels and his Nottingham Forest team after they beat Brighton in a penalty shootout to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in more than 30 years.
Having seen off Exeter and Ipswich in rounds four and five, Sels consulted notes on his water bottle before saving spot-kicks from Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gómez after both sides had cancelled each other out during normal and extra time. It was left to the captain Ryan Yates to score the winning penalty for Forest, who are also on course to qualify for next season’s Champions League via the Premier League, even if he will miss the semi-final having been booked during extra time.
“This means a lot and especially for Ryan – he’s been here since a young player,” admitted a delighted Nuno, who saw his side denied a penalty after the referee awarded one and then reversed his decision after going to his monitor.
“It is a huge moment for us in our journey together to have this moment to enjoy and to play football at Wembley in such a huge competition. We are delighted.”
Asked what the secret is behind their success in penalty shootouts, he added: “It’s a lot of practice and credit to the players for keeping their focus. The first thing that I noticed when I came to this club was the good atmosphere among the players and it’s the foundation for everything.
“Good goalkeeping but also good shooting. The third time and it’s the first penalty we missed in all the shootouts. It’s credit to the players. And of course fantastic goalkeeping.”
Brighton’s manager, Fabian Hürzeler, admitted that he was disappointed his side did not win the game during extra time but acknowledged that they must recover quickly from the setback after losing 7-0 to Forest earlier in the season.
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“The main thing is to show a reaction,” he said. “Of course we can be disappointed today but tomorrow it’s very important that we keep our heads up and try to focus on the next challenge. We have proved that we are capable of sticking together as a team and now we have to do it again.”
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