When Steve Cooper said that the City Ground was a stadium that “oozes football soul” he summed things up perfectly. It is.
The almost physical wall of noise generated by Nottingham Forest fans at home games in recent seasons has been the wind in the sails that propelled their team from the foot of the Championship table just over three years ago back to the Premier League after 23 years away — and kept them there.
Under Cooper, following his appointment in those dismal days of September 2021, and Nuno Espirito Santo — who has taken Forest on a step further since replacing the sacked Welshman last December — they have won 26 times there in the second tier and Premier League. The team have collected 95 points on home soil (there have been 17 draws to add to those victories) while losing 17 times. That means Forest have taken an average of 1.58 points from the 60 league matches at the City Ground.
Away from home in league play, that record during the tenures of Cooper and Nuno is won 16, drawn 17, lost 28 — 65 points secured at an average of 1.07.
A memorable 1-0 home win against Liverpool in October 2022 suggested Forest were ready to cut it back at top level, and at the end of that season, a 1-0 success over visitors Arsenal ensured they remained out of the bottom three and sparked deafening celebrations. Last season, defeats of Aston Villa (2-0), Manchester United (2-1) and West Ham (2-0) at the City Ground were among the high points.
In two and a bit seasons since their return to the Premier League, the points-per-game average at home has been 1.24. Away, it’s 0.76. Remove their results so far in 2024-25 and the away average since promotion is just 0.63, with 24 points from 38 fixtures.
That is largely because, amid a bright and encouraging start to Forest’s third straight top-flight season, one thing has been flipped on its head.
Forest are unbeaten in six league games on their travels — including wins against Sheffield United and Burnley in the final two away games of last season and over Liverpool and Southampton since this one began. They have also claimed credible draws at Brighton and Chelsea this term. Conversely, their most recent home win was way back on April 2, 3-1 against Fulham.
It’s seven home games in all competitions without a victory, which is their longest run since July-October 2020 (also seven). You have to go back to February 2012 for the last time Forest went eight matches without a win at the City Ground.
During this home run, Forest have collected three points (they also drew in the Carabao Cup with Newcastle, then lost the penalty shootout), with seven goals for and 11 against. Away, in their past seven games, they have won four, drawn two and lost one (14 points), while scoring 10 and conceding seven.
It is a long way from being a crisis — the mood in the dressing room is still hugely positive and upbeat, and there is a sense this team are capable of more than being drawn into a third consecutive relegation battle.
For the first time since returning to the top flight, Forest’s players, staff and fans are daring to look upwards to the clubs ahead of them in the table, rather than over their shoulders. New signings Nikola Milenkovic, Elliot Anderson, James Ward-Prowse and Alex Moreno have already improved the team. Players including Jota Silva and Ramon Sosa look like exciting figures who have the potential to do the same.
And their seven-game winless run at home does include four draws and a 1-0 defeat against Fulham — Forest’s only loss in the league this season and a match which could easily also have ended with the scores level.
But, with four of their next six games at the City Ground, it feels like an opportunity to ensure that what was previously an away-day hoodoo — Forest won just five times away in the previous two top-flight seasons — does not instead become a struggle for wins at a venue where they were previously always at their strongest. They cannot swap one problem for another.
When Crystal Palace visit on Monday, in front of the Sky Sports cameras, the Forest faithful will raise their voices once more, to try to urge their team to victory against opponents who have one point from their three away games so far. After a trip to East Midlands rivals Leicester City next Friday, West Ham and Newcastle come to town on successive weekends, before a difficult assignment at Arsenal and a home game against an Ipswich side many have among the favourites to be relegated completes their November fixtures.
It feels as though, under Nuno’s guidance, Forest are changing the narrative around themselves; they are no longer expected to be among the division’s strugglers. But if that is to continue, they must find a way to ensure that their direct, counter-attacking style works as well at home.
“The form is quite different, yes. It is an issue we must address against Palace,” said Nuno, in his press conference before the 1-1 draw at Chelsea in Forest’s final fixture before this international break. “Playing a football game is not only about how you prevent your opponent (having chances). Sometimes it is about having an offensive mindset and creating problems for them.
“We have to be ourselves, no matter whether we are home or away. When I say that, I mean we have to compete; we have to play the game without being afraid of what might happen. Because we have a good level of organisation, we have talented players — we have to give them a platform to play.”
Forest’s only league defeat this season came when talismanic playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White was suspended, which will be a concern given he is now not expected to recover in time to play on Monday after sustaining an ankle injury against Chelsea. He does have a slim chance of facing Leicester but it is more likely he will be back for the West Ham game on November 2.
It is a small number of games to draw too many serious conclusions from the statistics so far, but in three home games Forest have had an expected goals (xG) number of 3.14, which is the third lowest in the division — away from home, albeit from four matches, that rises to 5.19, the Premier League’s seventh-best figure. Forest have been defensively more rigid both home and away, conceding only six goals in total — Liverpool (two) are the only team to have allowed fewer, which is another significant improvement under Nuno.
For the Portuguese manager, it is about finding the balance between that solidity at the back and still having an attacking threat. Only four teams in the top flight have fewer goals than Forest’s seven — Ipswich (six), Manchester United, Palace (both five) and Southampton (four).
“It is not about playing Chelsea, Liverpool or whoever else, it is about us: how can we come up with a plan that allows us to play our game and score goals and at the same time be compact and difficult to break down?,” Nuno also said before the Chelsea game. “It is very difficult to find that balance. It requires a mindset, it requires focus, concentration and the understanding that mistakes can harm you. You have to minimise your mistakes and try to force your opponent to make them.”
If Forest can find a way to ensure their home form is as good as it is away, then the positive start to the season will only start to look even better.
The City Ground will always be a place with football soul. The fact that Forest intend to remain there, with plans to increase the 30,000 capacity to 42,000 and then, ultimately, around 50,000, has been a significant boost to the fans, who are fiercely proud of their club’s picturesque home.
Forest’s challenge is to ensure that, at the same time, it remains a venue other teams do not enjoy visiting quite as much.
(Top photo: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
