A Morgan Gibbs-White double saw Nottingham Forest come from behind to beat Burnley 2-1 at the City Ground.
The message from Vitor Pereira in recent weeks has been clear: Nottingham Forest is a family.
That sentiment was on full display when Gibbs-White scored the winner against Porto on Thursday, sending Forest to their first European semi-final since 1984.
(Photo by Molly Darlington - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
The 26-year-old unfurled a message beneath his shirt in support of teammate Elliot Anderson, who tragically lost his mum, Helen, earlier in the day.
In another timeline, Gibbs-White would not be a Nottingham Forest player today. His move to now-relegation rivals Tottenham Hotspur broke down at the last minute, after allegations of rule-breaking from the Lilywhites.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis issued a simple message at the time: “At the end of the day, we always win”.
On Sunday, Forest had to triumph.
Near the end of an uninspiring first half, Murillo succumbed to an injury in similar fashion to the issue that forced him off on Thursday.
Just minutes later, worried looks already adorning some supporters’ faces, Zech Flemming fired Burnley in front deep into added time.
It was as close to a disastrous end to the half as you could have imagined, and the boos which rang around the City Ground as the halftime whistle sounded were a clear indication of supporters’ discontent.
But by the second half, there was no room for boos. As they always do, the Forest faithful were back to cheering their side on, knowing that only a win would suffice against a team all but relegated.
Opportunities remained far from forthcoming, though, and it became clear that it was going to take something, or someone, special to turn Forest’s fortunes around.
Like on Thursday, Gibbs-White was ready to create something from nothing. A tidy finish at the back post fired Forest level in the 62nd minute, but few could have foreseen what would follow.
The England international went on to complete a 15-minute hat-trick, firing Forest well in front after a sensational spell of dominance.
It was rocking inside the City Ground. What once looked like a bleak afternoon where Forest would slip closer to the relegation zone became a cause for celebration. A momentum-builder.
They were not done, though, as substitute Igor Jesus was played through one-on-one by Nicolas Dominguez. The Brazilian still had plenty to do, however, and did excellently to tuck his effort beneath Martin Dubravka to add a fourth late on.
The celebrations were led by Pereira, who orchestrated the 29,458-strong City Ground crowd into an eruption.
On a weekend when Tottenham Hotspur once again dropped points, and with West Ham not playing until tomorrow, it is impossible to overlook the size of this result.
Five points clear of the drop, the Reds’ destiny remains firmly in their hands. Tough games await Forest, but, now seven games unbeaten, the future looks bright for Pereira’s side.