Morgan Gibbs-White expressed his relief after Nottingham Forest ended a 10-game winless streak in all competitions by defeating Porto 2-0 in the Europa League. This victory marked Sean Dyche's debut as
manager, following his recent appointment. Gibbs-White scored the first goal with a penalty in the 19th minute, and Igor Jesus secured the win with another penalty in the second half.
Forest's triumph was their first major European competition win since November 1995 against Lyon in the UEFA Cup. They also achieved their first clean sheet in 21 matches across all competitions, last managing this feat with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in April. The win was significant as it ended a turbulent period for the team, both on and off the pitch.
Gibbs-White shared his thoughts with TNT Sports, saying, "I can finally breathe tonight. It has been a difficult couple of months with all the changes and the bad performances, so it was good to get our first win in eight or nine games. " He expressed gratitude to fans for their support during challenging times and highlighted the positive impact of Dyche's leadership on team morale.
The match saw Forest score two penalties for the first time since defeating Arsenal in the FA Cup in January 2018. Their expected goals (xG) totalled 2.04 from eight shots, while Porto managed only 0.56 from five attempts at Matz Sels' net. This performance showcased Forest's attacking prowess under Dyche's guidance.
Dyche became the first Forest manager since Philippe Montanier in 2016 to secure a victory in his debut game at City Ground. Despite this promising start, Dyche remained cautious about future challenges. He emphasised that there is still much work ahead to maintain this winning momentum within the squad.
"Marvellous. It meant a lot," Dyche commented on the victory. "The players have been through a lot and the fans have but just to give something back to them. " He acknowledged that while it's an encouraging beginning, there is more progress needed to sustain success.
Looking ahead, Dyche's first Premier League test will be against Bournemouth on Sunday. The team aims to build on their recent success as they travel to face high-flying opponents on the south coast.
