Brighton vs Nottingham Forest FA Cup Report

Scorers: N/A

Penalties scored: Pedro, Gruda, Dunk; Anderson, Hudson-Odoi, Milenkovic, Yates

Penalties missed: Hinshelwood, Gomez; Williams

Nottingham Forest secured their place in the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 34 years after a tense 0-0 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion was decided by a 4-3 victory in the penalty shootout.

The result also extended Forest’s unbeaten run to five matches (W3, D2) and marked their third shootout success in this season’s FA Cup.

Forest Start Brightly But Game Quickly Evens Out

Coming into the match with momentum from back-to-back wins, Nuno Espírito Santo’s side looked lively from the outset.

They nearly took the lead inside 16 minutes when Taiwo Awoniyi found space in the penalty area and drove a strike across goal, only to be denied by Bart Verbruggen, who made a smart low save.

However, Forest’s early dominance began to fade as the game progressed. Brighton grew into the contest and finally registered a shot on target in the 31st minute when Pervis Estupiñán tested Matz Sels with a bouncing long-range effort, which the Belgian keeper pushed away to safety.

The Seagulls almost snatched the lead on the brink of half-time, as Carlos Baleba’s left-footed volley from the edge of the area narrowly missed the right post, in what was arguably the closest chance of the opening 45 minutes.

Chances Come and Go But Neither Side Breaks the Deadlock

Just three minutes into the second half, Forest threatened again through Morgan Gibbs-White, whose effort from the edge of the box was tipped over by Verbruggen.

Moments later, Jack Hinshelwood had a decent chance for Brighton, rising highest from a corner, but his header drifted off target.

As both sides failed to capitalise on their limited opportunities, the game edged into extra time — a fair reflection of a match that was evenly poised but lacked a clinical touch.

Late Drama in Extra Time But Still No Breakthrough

Extra time produced more tension and drama. Brighton went closest in the second period when Diego Gómez met a Brajan Gruda cross with a firm header, but Sels produced a stunning point-blank save to deny the breakthrough.

Then, with just two minutes left in extra time, Brighton thought they had won it. João Pedro squared the ball to Gómez, who poked it home—only for the goal to be ruled out for offside, much to Forest’s relief.

Sels the Hero Again as Forest Win on Penalties

With the deadlock unbroken, the match headed to a penalty shootout. Matz Sels, who had been outstanding throughout, saved two Brighton penalties, putting Forest in a commanding position.

It was left to Ryan Yates to seal the win, and the Forest captain made no mistake, rifling his spot-kick into the bottom-left corner to spark jubilant celebrations from the away end.

Historic Night for Forest, More FA Cup Frustration for Brighton

This victory marks a monumental achievement for Nottingham Forest, who reach a major domestic semi-final for the first time since 1991, and have now won three shootouts in this FA Cup campaign—a testament to their resilience and composure under pressure.

For Brighton, the defeat will sting after going close on several occasions, but they ultimately couldn’t find a way past Sels, whose heroics proved decisive. The Seagulls’ wait for a return to the FA Cup semi-finals continues.