
The Football Faithful
·10 mars 2025
Premier League Awards: Forest fairytale, Fabulous Fernandes

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Yahoo sportsThe Football Faithful
·10 mars 2025
With the title race and relegation battle appearing imminently over, the race for Champions League football looks set to be the narrative of the run-in. The Premier League is set to be granted five places for next season’s competition and as many as nine teams are battling for the four spots behind runaway leaders Liverpool.
Among them, still, are Nottingham Forest. It has been an incredible campaign at the City Ground with the pre-season relegation favourites flying high in the table. Forest took a giant step towards Champions League football with a 1-0 win over Manchester City this weekend. Callum Hudson-Odoi’s goal downed the champions, a huge result after three games without a win.
Forest fans of a younger generation have grown up on tales of the club’s back-to-back European Cup successes, but have spent the bulk of their time supporting the club in the Football League. Now, improbably, Europe’s best might be set to revisit Trentside.
When Wolves landed the signing of Andre from Fluminense, it was considered a coup. Courted by clubs higher up the footballing pyramid, Wolves agreed an £18.5m deal to sign the Copa Libertadores winner. After a period of adaptation the midfielder has grown in importance, impressing despite the club’s struggle near the foot of the table. Against Everton he was exceptional, with and without the ball, boasting the hallmarks of a defensive midfielder capable of stepping up another level.
He completed 97% of his passes, including 8/8 long balls, and regained possession 11 times in the middle third – a high in a Premier League game this season. Still just 23 and with 10 caps for Brazil, suitors may emerge in the summer.
The positioning of David Raya and the Arsenal wall were questionable, but this is still a fabulous free-kick from Bruno Fernandes. Power and elevation to perfection from the Portugal midfielder who, yet again, was a talismanic figure for Manchester United.
Roy Keane might have his question marks, but Manchester United would be a lot worse off without him.
David Raya redeemed himself at Old Trafford after half-time. The Spaniard made a string of superb stops to ensure Arsenal left Manchester United with a point.
After point-blank saves from Noussair Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkzee, Raya reacted rapidly with a brilliant double-stop late on to deny Fernandes.
There was shock at Stamford Bridge this weekend as, for the first time, Cole Palmer missed from the penalty spot in the Premier League.
The best 100% success record in Premier League history (13/13) is officially over.