FA Cup semi reached vs Brighton
On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 2025 Forest beat Brighton on penalties to reach the FA Cup semi-finals.
Nottingham Forest reached their first FA Cup semi-final since 1991 by beating Brighton & Hove Albion 4-3 on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
The quarter-final was tense rather than open. Neither side found a goal in normal time or extra time, and the longer the match went on, the more it became about nerve, concentration and handling the pressure of the occasion.
Matz Sels made the decisive difference in the shootout, saving Brighton penalties from Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gómez. Ryan Yates then scored the winning penalty, sending Forest through and turning a long, draining tie into a major modern cup moment.
The result sent Forest back to Wembley in the FA Cup for the first time in more than 30 years. For supporters, the goalless draw was only the set-up. The memory was Sels’ saves, Yates’ decisive kick, and the return to a stage the club had waited far too long to revisit.
Sources
BBC Sport; Reuters; The Guardian
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