While Nottingham Forest fans will argue no defeat at the hands of two-time European champions, in any competition, can qualify as a genuine upset, the managerless Championship side’s 4-2 victory over title holders Arsenal on Sunday will unequivocally be remembered as one of the FA Cup’s greatest modern day shocks of the Third Round.
These two clubs are separated by 28 rungs in the English football pyramid and the Gunners’ summer spending was precisely eight times that of the second tier side. But over the course of ninety minutes, it was the fallen giants who came out on top as the unwavering belief, swagger and desire of their academy products far outweighed the experience and supposed quality of Arsene Wenger’s ill-prepared collage of teenagers and ageing stars.
No individual battle better epitomised those two contrasting mentalities than Forest’s front-man Ben Brereton going toe-to-toe with Arsenal’s veteran World Cup winner, Per Mertesacker – one of the youngest players on the pitch playing directly against one of the oldest. That age gap continuously showed in terms of energy levels and Forest owed much of their attacking play to Brereton’s relentless running between the channels, pulling Mertesacker out of position and making his centre-back partner Rob Holding equally uncomfortable.
Brereton’s performance was eventually acknowledged with a goal from the penalty spot, putting his side into a comfortable 3-1 lead, but that merely capped off an exceptional performance from the teenager who, on the most part this season, has been forced to settle for roles out wide to gain invaluable experience at first team level.
The statistics show just how constant and threatening a presence the 6 foot front-man was on Sunday – taking five efforts on goal, completing four dribbles, winning two fouls and touching the ball six times in the Arsenal box. That latter return is quite significant, telling of just how far off the pace Arsenal were at the City Ground and the size of the gaps they left open at the back.
Currently 14th and five points closer to the relegation zone than the playoff spots, it’s clear what direction Nottingham Forest’s season must take. With promotion seemingly beyond them, giving these young players more chances to prove themselves in the first team is the biggest positive the club can take from a turbulent 2017/18 campaign. Come the end of next term, this shock victory could be looked back upon as the first steps in building a young and talented Forest side worthy of the top tier.