Forest had lost two games on the spin in the Premier League and ahead of kick-off, Nuno Espirito Santo saw his team slip out of the top five in the table.
The Reds won the day courtesy of early goals from Elliot Anderson and Chris Wood, with Richarlison’s late header proving nothing more than a consolation for the hosts.
Forest had a job to do in the capital and not only was the win needed for the sake of the Champions League push, but it also restores some confidence ahead of the FA Cup semi-final at the weekend.
The team selection perhaps caused some intrigue on Monday, with Harry Toffolo and Danilo both starting the game ahead of Alex Moreno and Ryan Yates, who can’t play on Sunday due to suspension.
Nuno Espirito Santo makes admission on Jota Silva
The Portuguese performer was a surprise omission from the matchday squad and it was a shock to see him not even on the bench.
It turns out that Silva’s omission wasn’t due to an injury either, with Espirito Santo choosing to leave him out altogether, despite him playing last time out against Everton.
He told Nottinghamshire Live: We didn’t have Ola (Aina) or Eric (da Silva Moreira), so we had Zach Abbott on the bench instead.”
Silva will now face an anxious wait to see if he’s managed to make the cut for the matchday squad for the FA Cup semi-final, although suspensions to Yates and Neco Williams should help him in that sense.
Jota Silva might not be at Forest next season
On one hand, Silva might be a useful squad option to have in Europe next year but when it comes to the Premier League, he might just be short of the required quality.
The player has shown flashes of promise but his game time has been largely sporadic and has usually come when either Callum Hudson-Odoi or Anthony Elanga has been injured.
Silva has enjoyed some positive moments, scoring against Brighton during a 7-0 win and more recently against Aston Villa during a 2-1 defeat but there will be a big decision to make.
It’s strange that Ramon Sosa got the nod ahead of him the other night and now, it begs the question of what the future actually holds for Silva next season.
