Youri Tielemans reacts to Matz Sels’ Nottingham Forest message after FA Cup heroics
Matz Sels pulled off the all-important penalty save as Nottingham Forest defeated Ipswich Town in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday.
Nuno Espirito Santo‘s side were held to a 1-1 draw by a spirited Ipswich side during 90 minutes of normal time, with George Hirst’s opener being cancelled out by the head of Ryan Yates on 3 March.
Not even the arrival of Chris Wood and Liam Delap, who has been linked with Chelsea, could help find a winner.
The two teams were inseparable after 30 minutes of extra time, and with nine penalty takers all successful from the spot, Jack Taylor was left distraught after seeing his effort saved at The City Ground.
Forest have experienced an incredible season so far, currently sitting third in the Premier League table above the likes of Chelsea and Man City, but the magic of the FA Cup is altogether different.
Matz Sels becomes the FA Cup hero for Nottingham Forest
Taking to Instagram [4 March], Sels wrote: “THAT FEELING,” with a love heart eyes emoji, alongside an image of himself celebrating his vital penalty shootout intervention.
Reacting, Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans liked the post while the goalkeeper’s former team, Gent, also left a like.
Nuno Espirito Santo could complete the impossible at The City Ground
Football Insider verdict
Nobody expected Forest to be competing at the very top of the Premier League, not even the majority of the fanbase before the 2024/25 campaign kicked off.
Now, Espirito Santo has a real opportunity to lead his team to Champions League qualification, and could even bring silverware to The City Ground if current performances continue.
| Premier League standings | Points |
| 3. Nottingham Forest | 48 |
| 4. Man City | 47 |
| 5. Chelsea | 46 |
| 6. Newcastle | 44 |
The team’s spirit has been summed up beautifully recently, having been hammered 5-0 by Bournemouth in January before getting back to winning ways with a sensational 7-0 win over Brighton.
Of course, back-to-back defeats against Fulham and Newcastle, a team that could be losing the likes of Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes this summer, have triggered concern over Forest’s league standing.
An upcoming clash against Man City means fixtures do not get any easier, but with a 0-0 draw against Arsenal and progressing to the next round of the FA Cup, there is no reason why the Reds have to stop here.