Match ends, Nottingham Forest 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 2.
Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo described his team's draw with Wolves as "a missed opportunity" to move three points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.
Goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Danilo put Forest 2-1 up at the City Ground after Matheus Cunha's magnificent solo strike had broken the deadlock, but the Brazilian's second-half equaliser leaves Nuno's team just a point above 18th-placed Luton, who lost 5-1 at Manchester City on Saturday.
Forest travel to fellow strugglers Everton next weekend, while the Hatters host Brentford.
"We were the better team today and should have won the game," Nuno told BBC Match of the Day.
"We did not allow many chances, but the ones we did allow we defended badly. Offensively we were good - it's not easy to play against a back five with little spaces.
"But we created enough chances to win the game. It's going to be a fight until the end of the season and we're here to give it our all."
Wolves forward Cunha, making his first start since suffering a hamstring injury in early February, stunned the home fans with a goal of the highest quality late in the first half.
Carrying the ball from inside his own half to the edge of the Forest penalty area, Cunha skipped between Andrew Omobamidele and Ryan Yates before rifling an unstoppable shot past goalkeeper Matz Sels into the top corner.
Former Wolves playmaker Gibbs-White drew Forest level just six minutes later, heading home Giovanni Reyna's corner in first-half stoppage time before celebrating in front of the travelling fans.
Nuno's side swept ahead in the second half when Danilo powered a low shot beyond Jose Sa from close range, but Cunha bundled home a loose ball from a corner to salvage a point for Gary O'Neil's men, who remain just outside the top half of the table.
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- Reaction to Nottingham Forest v Wolves and the rest of Saturday's Premier League action
A point gained or two dropped for Forest?
Forest are still waiting on an appeal date for their four-point profit and sustainability punishment, but Premier League safety remains firmly in their hands despite this failure to protect their second-half advantage at the City Ground.
The hosts were the brighter of the two sides in the early stages and Yates had a shot deflected wide from the edge of the penalty area before Callum Hudson-Odoi curled over the crossbar from a similar position.
United States international Reyna, making his first start since joining on loan from Borussia Dortmund, also dragged a shot narrowly wide after collecting Nelson Semedo's stray pass near the edge of the box.
Nuno will have been frustrated with his team's defending in the build-up to Cunha's opener, with Omobamidele and Yates failing to stop the Brazilian entering the penalty area.
But after deservedly drawing level through Gibbs-White, Danilo drilled Forest in front for the first time after Matt Doherty inadvertently diverted the ball into the midfielder's path while attempting to dispossess Gibbs-White.
Their lead lasted just five minutes, however, with Cunha converting from point-blank range after Sels parried Toti Gomes' goal-bound header into the forward's path.
Forest have now dropped 50 Premier League points from winning positions since the start of last season, more than any other team.
Whether this was a point gained or two dropped will only become clear at the end of the campaign.
Four games without victory for Wolves
Wolves have had an excellent campaign under O'Neil, but after going four league games without a win for the first time in 2023-24 their season is in danger of petering out.
They were on the back foot early on but were almost gifted an opener when Yates gave the ball to Joao Gomes inside the Forest box. His shot was cleared off the line by Murillo before Pablo Sarabia lashed the follow-up attempt wide.
Gibbs-White's equaliser just six minutes after Cunha's moment of magic means Wolves have now failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six away league matches, last doing so in the goalless draw at Brighton in late January.
Forest's second goal was just as poor from a Wolves perspective, Doherty playing an unintended one-two with Gibbs-White and diverting the ball into the unmarked Danilo's path.
The home side looked the likelier winners in the latter stages, after Cunha's second jolted them, but O'Neil's team held on for a share of the spoils.
With three consecutive home games coming up in late April, O'Neil and his players will be hopeful of returning to winning ways before the end of the month.
Player of the match
Matheus CunhaMatheus Cunha
Nottingham Forest
Avg
- Squad number32Player nameOmobamideleAverage rating
6.38
- Squad number7Player nameN WilliamsAverage rating
6.30
- Squad number28Player nameDaniloAverage rating
6.17
- Squad number20Player nameReynaAverage rating
6.17
- Squad number40Player nameMurilloAverage rating
6.00
- Squad number11Player nameWoodAverage rating
5.99
- Squad number14Player nameHudson-OdoiAverage rating
5.94
- Squad number26Player nameSelsAverage rating
5.80
- Squad number43Player nameAinaAverage rating
5.75
- Squad number10Player nameGibbs-WhiteAverage rating
5.65
- Squad number16Player nameDomínguezAverage rating
5.47
- Squad number22Player nameYatesAverage rating
5.45
- Squad number37Player nameRodrigo RibeiroAverage rating
5.12
- Squad number27Player nameOrigiAverage rating
4.88
- Squad number3Player nameNuno TavaresAverage rating
4.10
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Avg
- Squad number12Player nameMatheus CunhaAverage rating
8.23
- Squad number20Player nameDoyleAverage rating
7.24
- Squad number5Player nameLeminaAverage rating
7.13
- Squad number23Player nameKilmanAverage rating
7.04
- Squad number4Player nameBuenoAverage rating
7.00
- Squad number24Player nameToti GomesAverage rating
7.00
- Squad number2Player nameDohertyAverage rating
6.99
- Squad number1Player nameJosé SáAverage rating
6.97
- Squad number22Player nameNélson SemedoAverage rating
6.90
- Squad number11Player nameHwang Hee-chanAverage rating
6.81
- Squad number17Player nameBuenoAverage rating
6.76
- Squad number8Player nameJoão GomesAverage rating
6.71
- Squad number6Player nameTraoréAverage rating
6.69
- Squad number21Player nameSarabiaAverage rating
6.55
- Squad number63Player nameFraserAverage rating
6.25
- Squad number62Player nameChirewaAverage rating
6.07
Line-ups
Nottm Forest
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 26Sels
- 7N Williams
- 32Omobamidele
- 40Santiago Costa dos SantosBooked at 90mins
- 43AinaSubstituted forTavaresat 89'minutes
- 22YatesSubstituted forDomínguezat 66'minutes
- 28DaniloSubstituted forDuarte Ribeiroat 89'minutes
- 20ReynaSubstituted forOrigiat 71'minutes
- 10Gibbs-WhiteBooked at 77mins
- 14Hudson-Odoi
- 11Wood
Substitutes
- 1Turner
- 3Tavares
- 6Sangaré
- 15Toffolo
- 16Domínguez
- 19Niakhaté
- 27Origi
- 29Montiel
- 37Duarte Ribeiro
Wolves
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 1Sá
- 4Bueno
- 23Kilman
- 24Gomes
- 22Nélson SemedoSubstituted forChirewaat 88'minutes
- 20Doyle
- 5LeminaBooked at 30mins
- 2DohertySubstituted forHwang Hee-chanat 59'minutes
- 8João GomesBooked at 52minsSubstituted forBuenoat 59'minutes
- 21SarabiaSubstituted forFraserat 88'minutes
- 12Matheus CunhaBooked at 45minsSubstituted forTraoréat 76'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Traoré
- 11Hwang Hee-chan
- 15Dawson
- 17Bueno
- 25Bentley
- 40King
- 45Barnett
- 62Chirewa
- 63Fraser
- Referee:
- Craig Pawson
- Attendance:
- 29,604
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home46%
- Away54%
- Shots
- Home18
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home9
- Away4
- Corners
- Home10
- Away1
- Fouls
- Home15
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Nottingham Forest 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 2.
Post update
Attempt missed. Nicolás Domínguez (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Nottingham Forest. Conceded by Mario Lemina.
Post update
Foul by Nathan Fraser (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Post update
Andrew Omobamidele (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Murillo (Nottingham Forest) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Hwang Hee-Chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Murillo (Nottingham Forest).
Post update
Mario Lemina (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Rodrigo Ribeiro (Nottingham Forest).
Substitution
Substitution, Nottingham Forest. Nuno Tavares replaces Ola Aina.
Substitution
Substitution, Nottingham Forest. Rodrigo Ribeiro replaces Danilo.
Substitution
Substitution, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Nathan Fraser replaces Pablo Sarabia.
Substitution
Substitution, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Tawanda Chirewa replaces Nélson Semedo.
Post update
Corner, Nottingham Forest. Conceded by Maximilian Kilman.
Post update
Corner, Nottingham Forest. Conceded by Santiago Bueno.
Post update
Corner, Nottingham Forest. Conceded by Hugo Bueno.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Post update
Attempt missed. Tommy Doyle (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Mario Lemina.
Comments
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U reds.
Nottingham Forest FC and Aston Villa FC are the only two midlands clubs to have won the European Cup. Fact. Dream on dingles
Both of these clubs (as did mine, it’s well publicised) came under the FFP spotlight recently.
EFC fans got lots of support from one set of supporters - Forest. I hope WWFC get done sooner rather than later.
Love Forest. Don’t you dare get drawn back in to the dog fight.