Reigning champs Arsenal sunk 3–2
On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 1991 Forest beat Arsenal 3–2 at the City Ground in the First Division.
Forest gave the City Ground one of its sharper First Division afternoons by beating reigning champions Arsenal 3–2.
Brian Clough’s side had the match almost won before Arsenal’s late reply. Ian Woan opened the scoring just before half-time, Teddy Sheringham made it 2–0 with a second-half header, and Sheringham then helped set up Scot Gemmill for the third in the 70th minute.
That three-goal lead mattered because Arsenal were not a soft opponent. George Graham’s champions were known for defensive organisation, but Forest’s young side still found a way to pull them apart.
The closing stages became uncomfortable. Arsenal responded through Paul Merson and Alan Smith, cutting the deficit to one and forcing Forest to protect what had looked like a safe win.
The final whistle preserved a 3–2 victory that was remembered for both the quality of Forest’s attacking work and the tension of the finish. It was a win over the champions, but not one that allowed anyone to relax early.
Sources
11v11; TheCityGround.com
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