Brighton's Fake Trauma and Forest's Confidence

BRIGHTON, FRIDAY - Brighton and Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest have proven that, regardless of the magnitude of a victory or defeat, the trend from one match does not automatically influence the next. Brighton climbed relentlessly after a heavy defeat, while Forest stumbled following a significant victory.

Nearly two months after Forest's 7-0 massacre of Brighton, the two teams will meet again at Falmer Stadium on Sunday (30/3/2025) at 12:15 AM WIB. In addition to taking place at Brighton's home ground, this match is also different as it stakes a bigger prize: a ticket to the FA Cup semifinals.

Brighton Head Coach Fabian Hurzeler might owe a special thanks to Forest. Thanks to that defeat, "The Seagulls" seemed to rise like a phoenix from the ashes. Brighton has remained unbeaten in seven consecutive matches, six of which they managed to win.

"I do not want to discuss that," said Hurzeler when asked about Brighton's biggest defeat in the last 67 years. "The most important thing (after losing) is that the players take greater responsibility together. They show intensity and believe they can win against anyone," he continued.

Chris Sutton, a former striker for several English Premier League clubs born in Nottingham, once experienced the bitterness that Brighton is currently facing. According to him, adversity often becomes a turning point to strengthen relationships within the team and to change many things that are not quite right.

Sutton experienced an unimaginable change of fortune. “I remember losing 7-1 to Blackburn in 1992. I was still a Norwich defender. Afterwards, we had a beer at the manager’s house. I was moved to a striker and we were still top of the league at Christmas,” he told BBC Sport.

Head Coach of Forest, Nuno Espirito Santo, also learned something. Forest had been complacent and then found themselves trapped in three consecutive league matches without a victory. They struggled throughout February, until finally managing to get back on the winning track this month.

Santo surely understands that the momentum of a match often ends after the final whistle. A week before celebrating seven goals, Forest had just been turned into a goal reservoir by Bournemouth in a 0-5 defeat. This renders the record of previous encounters irrelevant for the upcoming quarterfinals.

The only thing that can be taken from the previous match is the victory of Santo's philosophy. Hurzeler always forces the opposing team to defend low by placing many players, up to six, on the last line. The problem is, the secret of Forest's success this season is defending all out and attacking on the counter.

Rather than talking about trauma or confidence from past stories, the motivation of both teams is more interesting. Forest has the opportunity to enter the semifinals for the first time since 1990-1991. Brighton is determined to return to Wembley Stadium, after losing twice in the semifinals in the last six seasons.

"We have the chance to break another record that has stood for more than 30 years. But right now we are just thinking about how to play in the next match, how to compete with a very good team like Brighton. Everyone must stay focused and enjoy this moment," said Santo.

The fight will be even more interesting because Brighton and Forest are in their best momentum. Proven, Hurzeler and Santo are included in two of the three names selected as candidates for the best Premier League manager in March 2025.

The list of nominees for the best player of the month is also filled with names from both teams. Brighton is represented by Dutch national team defender Jan Paul van Hecke. Forest sends two representatives at once, strikers Anthony Elanga and Nikola Milenkovic.

The problem is that Forest are limping in with star striker Chris Wood definitely out. He suffered a groin injury while on international duty with New Zealand. Wood has not conceded more goals against any team than Brighton (12).

Wood, in the last duel, even created a hat-trick. Santo must immediately find a solution in the front line. "Every time there is an international break, the players definitely come back with different conditions. We also have to check the readiness of other players who have just returned," explained Santo.

On the other hand, Hurzeler hopes that the players can bring the competitive atmosphere from their respective countries. Especially for players competing in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the South American zone, namely Joao Pedro (Brazil), Pervis Estupinan (Ecuador), and Diego Gomez (Paraguay).

According to Hurzeler, the competitive atmosphere in South America is much hotter. "I hope they come back with a big push to help us for the rest of the season. I think that will have a positive effect. They are so passionate when they talk about the national team," he said. (AP/REUTERS)