East Midlands Rivalry Heats Up: Forest and Leicester Share the Spoils in a Tense 1-1 Draw at the City Ground
There’s nothing quite like a fierce local derby with high stakes on the line—and that’s exactly what we got when Nottingham Forest hosted Leicester City this Sunday. With Forest desperately chasing a Champions League spot and Leicester already relegated but fired up for bragging rights, this matchup delivered drama, intensity, and a fair share of goalmouth action.
Let’s get into the details of what went down at the City Ground in this electric clash.
🔴 Final Score: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Leicester City
Goals:
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Leicester: Conor Coady (16')
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Forest: Morgan Gibbs-White (26')
Quick Match Recap: A Tale of Two Halves
Leicester City stunned the home crowd early on when Conor Coady pounced on a rebound in the 16th minute to put the Foxes 1-0 up. It was classic smash-and-grab stuff—following a long throw-in, a shot by El Khannouss was only parried by Sels, and Coady reacted first to nod it in.
But Nottingham Forest didn’t take long to respond. Morgan Gibbs-White came through in a big moment, rising to meet Anthony Elanga’s wicked free-kick and flicking a beautiful header into the far corner. The City Ground erupted—it was a goal that symbolized Forest’s determination to stay in the fight for European football.
🔥 Key Highlights from the First Half
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Nicolas Dominguez had a rocket of a shot saved midway through the half. On the rebound, Chris Wood got his head to it but couldn’t steer it on target.
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Chris Wood also missed an earlier opportunity with a close-range header and a wild swing just outside the box.
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Forest looked jittery at times, especially defensively, but showed grit to equalize before the break.
Lineups: Who Took the Field?
🟢 Nottingham Forest XI:
Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams; Dominguez, Sangare; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Anderson; Wood
🔵 Leicester City XI:
Stolarczyk; Justin, Faes, Coady, Thomas; Skipp, Ndidi; McAteer, Ayew, El Khannouss; Vardy
Both sides had some absentees, but the key players were ready to roll.
Forest's Injury Woes Continue
It’s no secret Forest are limping their way through the season—literally. Their Brazilian center-back Murillo picked up a thigh injury in the last match, and it’s still unclear how long he’ll be out. He was missed again on Sunday. The absence of Callum Hudson-Odoi also hurt their attack, although Elanga did a solid job in the creative role.
🩺 Forest Injury Report:
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OUT: Callum Hudson-Odoi (thigh)
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QUESTIONABLE: Murillo (thigh), Eric da Silva Moreira (ankle)
Leicester’s Mindset: Playing Spoiler and Loving It
Even though they’ve already been relegated, Leicester came into this game with fire. Why? Because ruining Forest’s Champions League dream would be a small but satisfying victory in a rough season.
Jamie Vardy, closing in on his 200th career goal for the Foxes, didn’t find the net this time, but you could tell he was hungry. The whole team was structured to defend deep, soak up pressure, and hit Forest on the counter.
🩹 Leicester Injury Update:
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OUT: Mads Hermansen, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Ricardo Pereira, Stephy Mavididi, Harry Winks, Abdul Fatawu (season-ending)
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QUESTIONABLE: Facundo Buonanotte (head)
Forest Still in the Fight — But Running Out of Time
The draw leaves Nottingham Forest hanging just outside the Champions League spots, sitting in sixth place with only two matches to go. It’s going to take something special to climb back up with West Ham away and a crucial home finale against Chelsea left.
🔎 Forest’s Remaining Fixtures:
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vs West Ham (away)
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vs Chelsea (home)
They’ll need Gibbs-White, Elanga, and Wood firing on all cylinders if they want to turn this fairytale run into a top-four finish.
Jamie Vardy’s Last Dance?
If this was Vardy’s final derby as a Leicester player, he definitely looked like a man on a mission. While he didn’t get on the scoresheet, his movement and aggression gave the Forest backline headaches throughout. Fans are already wondering—can he hit 200 goals before he says goodbye? He’s sitting at 199.
Tactical Breakdown: Who Had the Edge?
📊 Forest:
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Possession-focused
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Looked vulnerable on set pieces
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Missed chances in key moments
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Creative play improved after conceding
📊 Leicester:
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Sat back and hit on the break
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Dangerous from long throws and second balls
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Solid backline performance led by Faes and Coady
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Missed an opportunity to snatch a late winner
What’s Next for Both Clubs?
🟢 Nottingham Forest:
They’re still alive in the Champions League race—but just barely. With only two games remaining, there’s no room for error. They’ve been a top-five side for most of the season and will feel robbed if they fall short now.
🔵 Leicester City:
With relegation confirmed, it’s about pride, farewells, and maybe spoiling one or two more parties. Don’t expect them to go quietly.
Prediction vs Reality
The pre-game buzz had Forest pegged to blow Leicester out of the water, with a predicted scoreline of 3-1. But football’s never that simple, especially in a heated derby. Instead, Leicester dug deep and turned this into a dogfight.
Prediction: Forest 3-1 Leicester
Actual Score: Forest 1-1 Leicester
How to Catch the Action (Replay Info)
If you missed the game live, here’s how to catch up:
📺 TV: USA Network
🌐 Streaming: NBC.com (Replay available)
🕤 Kickoff Time: 9:15am ET, Sunday, May 11
🏟️ Venue: City Ground, Nottingham
Final Thoughts: Forest Hold On, Leicester Fight Back
The derby didn’t disappoint. For Forest, it was a game they couldn’t afford to lose—and they didn’t. But missing out on all three points might come back to haunt them in the race for the Champions League. For Leicester, it was a show of pride, resilience, and maybe a bit of a warning: even relegated, they’re not going down without a fight.
Rivalries, late-season pressure, and high stakes—this match had all the ingredients of classic Premier League drama.
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