Nottingham Forest defender Neco Williams

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Senior Correspondent AUTHORITY Senior football journalist specialising in refereeing and officiating; former contributor to The Football League Paper, Late Tackle, and the Premier League; University of Derby graduate. FOCUS Refereeing controversies, football finance and governance, PGMOL decisions, and officiating analysis across the Premier League, EFL, and SPFL. THE INSIGHT Harri utilises a network of officiating and industry contacts to deliver verified, expert analysis of refereeing decisions and PGMOL policy. He provides the regulatory clarity behind the controversy to ensure fans get the full picture.

Published on:

20 Oct 2026, 11:59 am

Oliver Glasner is expected to make some key changes after Nottingham Forest fell short against Arsenal at the City Ground.

Noni Madueke's deflected strike made all the difference on Sunday, 18 October, with Forest only registering two shots on target all game.

It was a game of very few chances, and if the Reds are to claim victory against Ipswich Town on Friday, 23 October, that simply can't happen again.

Forest currently have the fewest goals scored of any team in the division, and while their defence is not incredibly leaky, form has seen them drop to 19th in the Premier League table.

Understandably, Glasner's future is already being called into question, especially when considering Evangelos Marinakis' trigger finger.

If Forest stand any chance of climbing out of the relegation zone, the manager needs to make these three key changes to the lineup.

Neco Williams

Neco Williams was the club's Player of the Season last term. Now, he's really struggling in a left-wing-back role, which was even more evident against Arsenal.

In 90 minutes, he was cautioned, created just one chance, completed zero per cent of his seven crosses, won 43 per cent of his ground duels, and committed two fouls [FotMob].

Luca Netz would be the obvious replacement. His minutes have been limited, and he deserves a chance to prove himself.

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Nicolas Dominguez

Against Arsenal, Forest really lacked attacking outlets. Nicolas Dominguez simply wasn't a good enough replacement for the injured Morgan Gibbs-White.

The 28-year-old failed to register a shot or even create a chance, making just three line-breaking passes, while being dispossessed three times and winning just 56 per cent of his ground duels [FotMob].