Pereira applauds ‘resilient’ Nottingham Forest and gives Gibbs-White injury update

Pereira applauds ‘resilient’ Nottingham Forest and gives Gibbs-White injury update

After Nottingham Forest put three past Chelsea to boost their hopes of survival, Vitor Pereira praised his side’s resilience and gave an update on injured Morgan Gibbs-White.

Nottingham Forest took home three crucial points to put themselves six points above the relegation zone with their win in West London.

Taiwo Awoniyi opened the scoring early, heading home at the back post from Bilane Dakwa’s cross past Robert Sanchez. Igor Jesus converted not long after from the penalty spot, after Malo Gusto pulled Awoniyi’s shirt in the box, and put Forest in the driving seat at Stamford Bridge.

Pereira’s side picked up where they left off in the second half, as Awoniyi got his second, putting away a cross from half-time substitute Morgan Gibbs-White.

Speaking after the match, the Forest boss praised his team’s “confidence” and “resilience” to get the result, in between the two legs of their Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa.

“This team is resilient, this team is playing with confidence,” Pereira said. “They are playing united, with organisation and with ambition to win the games. We came here, not to draw, but to try to win the game.”

Both sides were forced into two changes after two heavy collisions: Zach Abbott clattered into debutant in the first half, with both players down for a long time receiving treatment; and Gibbs-White came off just after his assist following a collision with Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez.