Nottingham Forest achieved arguably the biggest result in their last 25 years of existence against Liverpool a week ago, but the fixture list doesn’t let up.
Not one bit, as Forest head to Premier League leaders Arsenal this Sunday in a game that could’ve been the same kind of free hit, but now looks slightly different.
To explain how we got here, let’s have a look at the crazy month of October at The City Ground.
In the aftermath of losing 4-0 to Leicester City at the start of the month, manager Steve Cooper was guaranteed his job; a strange reward, it must be said.
It was a signal of the club’s faith in the Welshman, and to be fair, he has made the most of out that ‘get out of jail free’ card by conducting a remarkable turnaround.
He completely changed the make-up of how Forest set up and played.
A 4-5-1 formation began the game against Aston Villa, placing emphasis on keeping tight lines of defence and working as a unit.
The free-flowing, expansive football that worked so magnificently in the Championship was put on the back burner, and after a positive 1-1 draw on that occasion, the set-up continued in an unfortunate 1-0 defeat to Wolves and 0-0 draw at Brighton.
Going back to the basics and not conceding goals was the biggest indicator that Cooper was starting to deliver something for Forest to build on.
The game against Liverpool then came around – attached with huge historical significance – and it didn’t disappoint.
Forest went into the game knowing they were hard to beat, and had to hope that Liverpool may fall into their counter-attacking trap. It all fell into place.
The partisan atmosphere before the game at The City Ground only continued as Forest grew into the game.
They caused Liverpool huge problems on the counter and were presented with many opportunities in behind the Reds’ defence.
After a positive first-half display keeping Liverpool relatively at bay, Forest then landed their own knockout blow in the second half.
It came from a well-worked free-kick from Morgan Gibbs-White, which found Steve Cook to spin the Liverpool defence and cross the ball into Awoniyi.
The Nigerian striker took two bites of the cherry but dispatched the ball with the second in front of an ecstatic and delirious Trent End. Forest were back!
This result was a big statement to the rest of the league.
Steve Cooper managed to perform a complete shift in tactics ahead of the biggest game of their season, which gives Forest good momentum ahead of facing Arsenal.
Sunday could prove to be yet another momentous day in Forest folklore, playing the league’s front-runners who are yet to have any major setbacks.
The Gunners have a 100% winning record at the Emirates so far this season, but Forest will go there knowing they have the mentality and team spirit to cause an upset.
Cooper has used the last few games to consolidate good performances and will look to continue in that spirit on Sunday.
It will be another significant weekend of Premier League football, with the table looking incredibly tight for the sides at the bottom.
Forest must use the incentive of current relegation rivals Leeds United and Leicester City having tough games, hoping that these sides drop points to boost their own cause.
With the recent optimism around the club, Forest will obviously be aiming for a positive run with only three league games left until the World Cup.
These fixtures include home games against Brentford and Crystal Palace, which are two winnable fixtures.
With the advantage of a dedicated and passionate home crowd, they will want to be above the dreaded drop zone and be in a much healthier position going into the hectic post-World Cup fixtures.
Can Cooper continue that upward trajectory, or will it be another bump in the road?
Time will tell, but under Steve Cooper’s stewardship, Forest have undoubtedly a man who cares deeply about the history and tradition of the club.
These values and beliefs are what he will continue bringing to this famous old club, and if it means any more repeats of what we saw last week, long may it continue.
Feature Image Credit: Nottingham Forest FC YouTube.