Nottingham Forest were triumphant in their FA Cup quarter-final thanks to another penalty shootout, in which homegrown hero Ryan Yates scored the decisive spot kick.
It was a game that brought controversy even before kickoff as Wayne Rooney criticised Nuno Espirito Santo’s team selection after the Forest manager chose to rest key attackers in Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga.
Depending on how you look at it, Espirito Santo’s decision either paid off or didn’t as his Forest squad looked weak going forward in the first half but never in trouble of conceding due to his tactical decisions.
Another flashpoint arose when VAR denied Forest a penalty against Brighton after Elliot Anderson was brought down by Kaoru Mitoma, but all was well in the end as Forest Academy graduate Yates struck home from the spot to win the shootout and book his side’s place at Wembley.
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Espirito Santo hailed Yates’ performance against Ipswich in the previous FA Cup shootout win against Ipswich and his captain was crucial once more, but his yellow card in extra time has led to some concerns about whether he will be suspended for the semi-final.
Ryan Yates’ FA Cup semi-final fate after yellow card vs Brighton
Yates took one for the team in the first period of extra time, pulling down Brajan Gruda to earn himself a caution from Peter Bankes.
The Forest skipper also picked up a yellow card in the previous round’s victory over Ipswich, leading to frenzied discussion as to whether he will be able to play a part at Wembley.
However, an article by The Athletic in 2023 has cleared up any of the confusion, and it’s good news for Reds fans.
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On yellow-card suspensions, the article says: “As for cup competitions, if a player is shown two yellow cards throughout an individual FA Cup or Carabao Cup campaign, they will serve a suspension during the next match in the competition.
“The slate is wiped clean in both after the quarter-final stage, meaning the only way to be suspended for the final is through a red card.”
This means that Yates will be available for the semi-final is his first yellow card in the competition came before the quarter-final cut-off, meaning it doesn’t factor into any potential suspension.
Espirito Santo will be delighted with this conclusion, given how important his captain has been in the FA Cup this season.
Yates made an impact for Forest against Arsenal at the end of February but his Premier League starts have dried up as of late, not that you’d know given how excellent he has been in the FA Cup.
Statistic Ryan Yates vs Brighton
Passes into final third 3
Dribbled past 0
Duels won 10
Blocks 3
Ryan Yates’ performance vs Brighton
Against The Seasiders, Yates played a crucial defensive role, not being dribbled past once as his head coach clearly wanted to flood the middle of the pitch.
Yates also won ten duels, the joint highest in the game alongside fellow midfielder Anderson, as well as three blocks as Brighton posed their own threat going forward throughout.
His minutes may have dwindled slightly, but the Forest coaching staff will be under no illusion about just how crucial Yates is to the run-in of this mesmerising season, so having him available for their trip to Wembley for the semi-final will be a huge relief.