On October 25, 2024, at the King Power Stadium, Nottingham Forest’s head coach Steve Cooper faced a pivotal moment against local rivals Leicester City. With the memory of past successes still fresh, the atmosphere turned electric when Forest secured a decisive victory, highlighted by Chris Wood’s stunning play. After he scored his second goal, the away supporters broke into song: “Stevie Cooper, Stevie Cooper, he hates the Leicester, he hates the Derby, Forest are magic,” as Leicester fans fell into silence. Yet, Forest had an opportunity to extend their lead to 4-1, but midfielder Ryan Yates squandered a close-range chance.
This season, only Erling Haaland has outscored Wood in the league. Wood’s opener, a superb back-to-goal strike, underscored his exceptional form—only Haaland has scored more non-penalty goals since Nuno Espírito Santo took charge of Forest. By the match’s end, Forest fans were singing of European aspirations as their team climbed to fifth place, at least temporarily. Under Cooper’s guidance, Forest returned to elite competition, with Nuno seemingly pushing them even higher.
Nuno, serving the second match of a three-game touchline suspension, observed the jubilant scene from the press box while Wood’s first goal played on a monitor in the dressing room. As the final whistle blew, Anthony Elanga celebrated by piggybacking Callum Hudson-Odoi, while Olu Aina danced and Àlex Moreno celebrated, reflecting the excitement among the Forest supporters. “To see our fans celebrate, they’ve given so much, and to see them at the end of the match, this is what we play for,” Cooper remarked. “They should be excited; they should enjoy it. It was a beautiful day for us as a club in this special game. Let’s not forget where we’ve come from and how hard it was, so now we must enjoy it.”
Despite the occasion, Cooper was careful not to delve into his past with Forest during his pre-match statements. Even in his programme notes, he focused on welcoming his successor and the visiting supporters without mentioning his tenure. Nonetheless, Forest fans will forever appreciate how the Welshman revitalized the team, leading them back to the top flight after a remarkable ascent from the bottom of the Championship to a playoff final victory at Wembley within just nine months.
Among Cooper’s toughest moments was a 4-0 defeat at this very stadium the following season. With Yates scoring his second league goal since April 2022 to open the game, the tension was palpable. Yates seized on a missed clearance by James Justin and curled a right-footed shot into the bottom corner, igniting celebration among the Forest players and fans alike, especially with Yates’s goggles gesture honoring their chant: “If Yatesy scores, we’re in the Trent.”
Leicester responded swiftly, leveling the score just seven minutes later thanks to Jamie Vardy, whose instinctive finish marked his fourth goal of the season. A well-placed cross from Harry Winks found Vardy, who cleverly maneuvered between two defenders for the conversion.
However, Leicester struggled to maintain momentum. Mads Hermansen made an impressive save to deny Nicolás Domínguez shortly after Vardy’s equalizer, parrying a fierce shot that had deflected his way.
The second half began poorly for Leicester as Forest capitalized on yet another mistake. After a botched pass by Winks, Domínguez intercepted, setting up Wood for a brilliant finish into the bottom corner. As Forest sniffed blood, they capitalized once more when a miscommunication between Leicester’s defenders allowed Wood to nod in his second goal, underscoring their dominance. Leicester faced more near misses as Yates shot over the bar and substitute Taiwo Awoniyi hit the side netting.
“It’s tough to lose any game, especially against local rivals,” Cooper said in reflection. “We need to stay grounded; it’s vital we don’t get too high or too low. How we recover from setbacks will ultimately define our season.”
