Nuno ecstatic over 1-0 home win against Manchester City

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Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito-Santos ecstatic over 1-0 home win against Manchester City  08/03/2025  City Ground, Nottingham, UK

Transcript

00:00What's your overriding feeling?

00:02We are happy, we are very happy.

00:04Very happy, I think we did a very good game against a very tough team.

00:08Defensive display was good, the organisation was good,

00:12the help, the covers, the double ups were fundamental to have this defensive display.

00:19So, proud and happy.

00:20As I said, it was a great team performance.

00:23You talked through the goals, moving the ball to the counter and the finish.

00:27It must have been very pleasing.

00:28Of course, talent, talent.

00:31When Kalle has a chance, I think he had a previous chance before.

00:34And he did well.

00:36Players that have the advantage on 1v1,

00:39when we try and we achieve to create the situation,

00:42they are talented and it's difficult to stop.

00:45With 10 games to go, how confident are you that perhaps this team can finish in the Champions League place?

00:50Now, Ipswich, Ipswich.

00:52Now, let's rest because it was a tough week for us.

00:55Many of our players made 120 minutes, plus 90 today.

01:00So, thank God they are healthy for now.

01:03Let's keep them healthy, recover and prepare for the next one.

01:06At what point do you think you can stop thinking about potentially your team performance?

01:13It doesn't change anything.

01:14It's about the focus, it's about the approach of the games.

01:17Let's enjoy the journey together.

01:19The players, they are doing amazing.

01:22Our fans giving the help.

01:26Keep on enjoying.

01:27You've drawn with Liverpool and Arsenal at home, now you're beating City.

01:31How much belief do you think these three results have given your team and also your supporters?

01:36We are talking about the best teams around.

01:39It always gives you the confidence that you can compete well against such good players.

01:44I think it allows us to grow as a team,

01:48but it doesn't change the opponent that you have ahead of you, in front of you,

01:52because the Premier League is very tough, very tough, very tough.

01:54So, every good performance that we have, every good result against every team,

02:00is always what we look for.

02:03You have stopped severing some ways to the winner Anfield.

02:08Was it your tactical plan today to keep things tight and then...?

02:12I think it was different.

02:14It's very difficult, very difficult to stop City.

02:17It's very difficult, they are so talented,

02:18create so many pockets and short games.

02:22It's very, very hard.

02:23They are always going to have chances.

02:25So, a different game, a different game.

02:29If you look at the stats, it looks the same,

02:32but I think it was totally different.

02:33They are totally different teams.

02:35You must be playing the way you did last time.

02:37Of course, of course.

02:38But, Paul, we've been around and we know there's no other way to play against,

02:45and to play against anyone.

02:46If you ignore the talent and the defensive part of the game,

02:49you are making a mistake.

02:51We will try to avoid it till the end,

02:52because it's the basic pillar for us, it's a clean sheet.

02:55We are proud of achieving clean sheets.

02:57Did this feel like another landmark winning for you?

03:02It's important for our fans.

03:03It's important for our fans to realise that we can compete against every team.

03:08But it doesn't change, it doesn't change.

03:10It's not a landmark.

03:11I think, for example, if you go back after the period

03:14that we were not so stable, half-time Newcastle,

03:18the way we revert that situation,

03:21that I think was important, a pivotal moment in these previous games.

03:25There's been so much emphasis for so long on full-backs generally

03:30being able to attack, go forward.

03:32How pleasing was it then to see how well Ener and Willian

03:36shut down the Manchester City line?

03:38Very pleased, very pleased.

03:40Very pleased.

03:41Very difficult players to stop.

03:43Credit for them, but also credit for the helps,

03:46especially of the midfielders to double up.

03:49You said that you've got to look at the games ahead,

03:53but it must give you a great deal of satisfaction

03:56when you see how the fans are doing.

03:57Of course.

03:58To see what the team has come through.

04:00Of course, of course.

04:01We are proud.

04:03Monday evening was very nice.

04:06The support that they have, they finished the game singing.

04:08So, let's enjoy the journey together.

04:12I think there's a bond of trust between the team and the fans

04:16that we can see that the players feel comfortable playing at city ground.

04:20Our home form has been huge for us.

04:23Let's try to keep it on the next ones.

04:25Sorry?

04:26Last time we looked, it was Stuart Pearce.

04:29Sorry, sorry.

04:34I saw the news.

04:34How is he?

04:37We're waiting to hear an update, but I think he's doing OK.

04:41Ah, OK.

04:43I'm sorry, I didn't know.

04:47But no bad news for now.

04:48No.

04:49Oh, thank God.

04:50Good.

04:51It's the first time that they've been beating Manchester City in the league since 1997.

04:55We've had a few of those big moments this season.

04:58What do they mean?

04:59I know you say it's not a landmark result, but what do those kind of moments mean?

05:02I think the improvement of the squad, the improvement of the players,

05:06the ability to realise that we can compete against every team.

05:11Compete.

05:12It doesn't matter the result.

05:14It's how we prepare to compete.

05:17Knowing our strengths, our weakness, and knowing who we have in front of you.

05:21Every game is different.

05:22It shows the progress and the ability to keep competing, competing, competing,

05:27game after game.

05:28And this is what we want for ourselves, to be able to improve every game.

05:33It's a landmark of improvement.

05:35Because now we're going to look at the game.

05:36There were so many mistakes, but at the end, it was good.

05:40But it still seems to improve, of course.

05:43I think, yeah.

05:45Just to close up, often when managers are on a really good run,

05:49they can often tell their players how the game is going to play out,

05:52and it felt like that game was playing out according to your plan rather than Pep's plan.

05:56Did you feel that during the game?

06:00No.

06:01No.

06:02Not all the game.

06:04There was a moment when the game stretched and it becomes up and down like basketball.

06:12That was good for us.

06:14Thank you very much.

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