New Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo wants to build on Steve Cooper’s legacy at the City Ground.

The Portuguese has returned to English football after two years away following Cooper’s sacking on Tuesday, which came after a run of one win in 13 Premier League games.

Cooper was the man to end Forest’s 23-year exile from the top flight, taking them from the bottom of the Championship to promotion in nine months, while also delivering generation-defining runs in the FA Cup and League Cup.

And Nuno, who says that owner Evangelos Marinakis has not put any expectations on him, wants to be the man to take the club to the next level.

“We didn’t mark ourselves to expectations. That’s a day-to-day process,” he said of his conversation with Marinakis.

“What he told me was that what Steve did here is huge. Getting Forest back in the Premier League is fantastic work. We are trying to improve his legacy, which is amazing.

“What Steve did here at Forest is amazing – getting Forest back in the Premier League and keeping Forest in the Premier League.

“It’s normal (to have that popularity) and it shows how good Forest fans are with the respect they showed Steve even when things weren’t going well. That says a lot about our fans.”

Nuno returns to work after leaving Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad in November and takes over at Forest with the club five points above the relegation zone.

His last job in English football was at Tottenham, where he lasted just 10 games before being sacked.

He says he has no regrets about his time in north London and has learned from his time there and a more successful spell at Wolves.

“No, no regrets, it happened,” he said. “It was a pleasure to be at Spurs. Things didn’t go well so we move forwards. But no regrets.

“We learn everything, ourselves everything, you learn everything every day. Different situations.

“What we did in Wolves is totally different to what happened at Tottenham. In Saudi Arabia it was a new experience for me, new learning process for me, new culture, so we are always learning.

“I think we have to prove ourselves every day, as players, as coaches, everybody, it is a constant pressure to prove.

“What I expect is to help, try to transmit my knowledge and work ethic.”

Nottingham Forest have appointed Nuno Espirito Santo as their new head coach.

The Portuguese has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract at the City Ground following Tuesday’s sacking of Steve Cooper.

Nuno, who will take charge of Saturday’s clash with Bournemouth, returns to English football following a two-year absence when he left Tottenham after an ill-fated four-month stay.

He has been out of work since leaving Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad in November and takes over at Forest with the club five points above the relegation zone.

The 49-year-old replaces Cooper, who lost his job after a run of one win in 13 Premier League matches.

Nuno Espirito Santo has been appointed Nottingham Forest’s new manager, replacing Steve Cooper, on a two-and-a-half-year contract.

Here, the PA news agency looks at what we might expect at the City Ground under the former Wolves and Tottenham boss.

Squad issues

Nuno likes to work with a small squad. At Wolves he capped it at around 22 players to ensure every member of the team felt like they had a chance of playing.

With Forest’s bloated squad it will be interesting to see how the new manager handles it and whether he feels the need to trim in January.

PR problems

If anyone expects Nuno’s press conferences to lead the headlines they will be mistaken. He did not like doing them at Wolves and was notorious for short answers and quick press conferences.

At Tottenham he held them on Zoom due to Covid regulations but remained cold and detached.

Should things go wrong at Forest, there will be little sympathy in the media.

Gibbs-White reunion

Gibbs-White struggled to get going under Nuno at Wolves and Forest’s record signing must be intrigued about the appointment.

He made 31 appearances in Wolves’ return to the Premier League under Nuno in 2018-19 but then just six in the top flight the following season before undertaking loans at Swansea and Sheffield United.

For Nuno to succeed at Forest he must get the best out of his former midfielder.

White Hart Pain

Nuno was a symptom of the problems at Tottenham when he was appointed, rather than being the sole problem himself.

He only joined after a chaotic recruitment process in 2021 which saw Mauricio Pochettino, Antonio Conte, Paulo Fonseca and Gennaro Gattuso all considered ahead of him.

It was little surprise it did not work and he was dumped after just four months, being replaced by Conte.

Stale or successful?

Nuno helped assemble a fine squad at Wolves, with Joao Moutinho, Raul Jimenez and Ruben Neves the core of their success as promotion and European football were achieved at Molineux.

But it ultimately went sour, Nuno went stale and performances became tedious.

Negative football at Tottenham peppered his brief reign and it remains to be seen if he can rediscover his magic touch.

Nottingham Forest look set to turn to former Wolves and Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo as they move on from Steve Cooper.

Cooper was sacked on Tuesday after a run of just one win in 13 Premier League games, which has seen Forest plummet to just five points above the drop zone.

Forest have said an announcement on their next manager will be made in “due course”, but the PA news agency understands Nuno is the preferred candidate to take over at the City Ground and has met with club officials ahead of a possible appointment.

The Portuguese has been out of work since leaving Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad in November. He appears set for a return to the Premier League two years after his sacking from an ill-fated four-month stay at Spurs.

Cooper, 44, has had the support of the Forest fans after taking them from the bottom of the Championship to Premier League survival last season.

It was fan power that saved him from the sack last term but, with another summer of heavy investment from owner Evangelos Marinakis, the Greek businessman has lost patience.

Marinakis said: “Everyone at Nottingham Forest would like to thank Steve for his superb contribution to our football club. His achievement in guiding Forest back to the Premier League will undoubtedly remain an iconic moment in the club’s history.

“We thank Steve for his dedication and commitment during his time with us, as well as the incredible connection he forged with our supporters and the city of Nottingham.

“Steve will always remain a friend of the club and will forever be welcome at the City Ground. We wish him well in his future endeavours.”

Forest host Bournemouth in a crucial Premier League clash on Saturday before festive fixtures against Newcastle and Manchester United.

Blackpool boss Neil Critchley hailed his side’s determination after a 3-0 win against struggling Forest Green Rovers set up a third-round FA Cup clash with Nottingham Forest.

The Seasiders were without several players in the rescheduled fixture, with Kylian Kouassi and Shayne Lavery among those sidelined through injury.

Thanks to goals from Owen Dale in the first half and Jordan Gabriel and Marvin Ekpiteta in the second, Blackpool cruised to victory at Bloomfield Road.

Critchley hoped for better injury fortune over the festive period as his side prepare to face Bristol Rovers.

He said: “We had to work hard for it until the last 15 minutes. I always felt we were the dominant team, we were comfortable.

“But whilst it’s 1-0, you’re always mindful of them getting a breakaway or set-piece or something.

“Until we got the second goal, although we were pretty dominant, you’re never quite sure that you’re going to win the game.

“Hopefully we have a clean bill of health and we can move on to Bristol Rovers on Saturday now.

“You look across the team, some players haven’t played for a bit so it’s not going to be easy. There was an element of risk doing that – a calculated one but the players equipped themselves well and we’re into the next round.”

The Seasiders dominated for much of the game against their League Two opponents, as David Horseman’s second-half triple substitution did little to trouble Blackpool’s defence.

Horseman admitted goalkeeper Luke Daniels’ 18th-minute error made it an “uphill battle” after Dale pounced on a loose ball to tap home for the first.

He insisted 3-0 was a flattering scoreline for Blackpool and rued soft goals that led to their second-round exit.

He said: “They were bigger, quicker and stronger all over the pitch and won every duel.

“We were OK and organised. Luke hasn’t had many saves to make, but to give the first goal away makes it an uphill challenge.

“The second one is a 60-yard ball diagonal from the wide man that splits two players and goes through and at the end it’s a free header. We gave away three really soft goals.

“It’s a marker we need to do much better.

“The goals were really bad individual errors. We knew when we made the changes and bring the boys on, we give the second goal away.

“The three goals were really, really bad. The 3-0 I think flatters them, they deserved to win but it flatters them. It leaves a really bad taste.”

Owen Dale, Jordan Gabriel and Marvin Ekpiteta were on target in a 3-0 win for Blackpool against Forest Green to set up a third-round FA Cup tie with Nottingham Forest.

It was Blackpool who drew first blood after 18 minutes when Dale charged down a loose ball and beat keeper Luke Daniels in a 50-50 challenge before tapping into an empty net.

Dom Thompson and Matty Virtue both missed chances to extend the lead before half-time.

Kyle Joseph then had another opportunity to put the game beyond Forest Green but could not find the net.

Rovers manager David Horseman made a triple substitution midway through the second half in search of a route back into the game, including the introduction of player-coach Troy Deeney.

It had little impact as Blackpool continued to dominate, and Gabriel smashed home a second 15 minutes from time.

Ekpiteta put the game beyond doubt when he headed Karamoko Dembele’s free-kick into the net to round off a good night’s work.

Nottingham Forest have sacked boss Steve Cooper and are in talks to appoint former Wolves and Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo as his replacement, the PA news agency understands.

The 44-year-old has paid the price for a run of just one win in 13 Premier League games, which has seen Forest plummet to just five points above the drop zone.

The Portuguese is the preferred candidate to take over at the City Ground and has met with club officials ahead of a possible appointment.

Nuno has been out of work since leaving Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad in November. He appears set for a return to the Premier League two years after his sacking from an ill-fated four-month stay at Spurs.

Cooper has had the support of the Forest fans after taking them from the bottom of the Championship to Premier League survival last season.

It was fan power that saved him from the sack last term, but with another summer of heavy investment from owner Evangelos Marinakis, the Greek businessman has lost patience.

Forest host Bournemouth in a crucial Premier League clash on Saturday before festive fixtures against Newcastle and Manchester United.

Marinakis was eyeing a top-half finish this season after spending north of £100million in the summer, but, after a solid start to the campaign, results have not followed and they have won just once since beating Chelsea at the start of September.

Cooper has kept his dignity in tact following speculation surrounding his position and leaves the City Ground a hero after becoming the man to end Forest’s 23-year exile from the top flight when he guided them to promotion in the summer of 2022.

A difficult first year in the Premier League followed, where Cooper’s job was under continual threat before a late-season rally saw them finish 16th.

Expectations of a push towards the top 10 came after a heavy spending spree in the summer, but results have been disappointing and Cooper has paid the price.

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper’s position is under severe threat after the club held talks with former Wolves and Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo about taking over at the City Ground, the PA news agency understands.

Cooper’s tenure is in doubt following a run of just one win in 13 Premier League games, which has seen Forest plummet to just five points above the drop zone.

Officials from the club have spoken to the Portuguese about replacing Cooper, PA understands.

Nuno has been out of work since leaving Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad in November. He appears in line for a return to the Premier League two years after his sacking from an ill-fated four-month stay at Spurs.

Cooper has had the support of the Forest fans after taking them from the bottom of the Championship to Premier League survival last season.

It was fan power that saved him from the sack last term, but with another summer of heavy investment from owner Evangelos Marinakis, it looks as if the Greek businessman has lost patience.

Reports in Portugal suggest a deal for Nuno could be tied up before Saturday’s home clash with Bournemouth.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has called on his side to show their resilience and step up to cover for absentees in the coming weeks.

Midfielder Yves Bissouma is facing a four-match suspension following his second dismissal of the season in Spurs’ 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest on Friday night.

Dejan Kulusevski picked out Richarlison to head home the opener in first-half stoppage-time before turning goalscorer to move Tottenham closer to the Champions League places.

Bissouma’s was the fourth sending off of the season for Tottenham and discipline remains a concern for Australian Postecoglou, who is also without Destiny Udogie for the clash with Everton.

Postecoglou told Sky Sports Premier League: “We lose him (Bissouma), we lose Destiny Udogie (also suspended) but I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be that type of season for us. It’s building resilience in the group.

“We’ve got plenty of reason to make excuses, we haven’t, we’ve gone through a rough trot, we’ve still got some tough games coming up.

“I think when you get through these periods and you’re steadfast in what you’re trying to do, I think you come out stronger provided you maintain belief.

“It’s (discipline) been a little bit of an issue. It’s a fine line with those things.

“The players are aware of that, they don’t want to miss games. I think today was more of a desperation tackle than something nasty.

I’m working with fantastic footballers. That makes a big difference. I’ve been pleased with the progress and I just think there’s so much more to come.”

Steve Cooper urged Forest to keep their heads held high.

They came close in the latter stages to getting something out of the game as Harry Toffolo saw an effort superbly clawed off the line before Neco Williams struck the post.

Cooper said: “You’ve got to keep believing in the players. If the players are not believing in themselves and not as confident as they can be, they’re not going to commit to the decision making and the risks that we need them to take.

“There’s always pressure and you have to deal with that if you want to excel – and survive in our case – at this level. That will continue. We’ll stand up and be counted.”

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou was delighted with his side’s composure as they made it back-to-back wins for the first time since October with a 2-0 Premier League victory at Nottingham Forest.

Dejan Kulusevski picked out Richarlison to head home the opener in first-half stoppage-time before turning goalscorer when he capitalised on a poor clearance from Matt Turner to double the advantage at the City Ground.

Tottenham then had to see out the final 20 minutes with 10 men after Yves Bissouma’s dismissal for a high lunge on Ryan Yates but they held on despite Neco Williams hitting the post late on.

Postecoglou told Sky Sports Premier League: “It’s a tough game here, you have to earn whatever you get. They’re obviously pretty desperate for points and the crowd get behind them.

“Every time they get a throw-in, you feel like you’ve conceded a goal and they’re launching it in the box. We had to deal with a lot of things we don’t normally have to deal with. Just great character.

“We had some adversity obviously to go down to 10 men. Some of our football was good as well, so a bit of everything.

“For the most part we stayed pretty calm and composed, the back four, Ben Davies and Romero were excellent, Vic was good when we needed him.

“We always had an outlet, we always looked dangerous, which meant we just didn’t camp ourselves in there. So really pleased.”

However, Postecoglou remained concerned about Tottenham’s lack of discipline as Bissouma was sent off for the second time this season and his 70th-minute dismissal was Tottenham’s fourth red card of the season.

Postecoglou added: “I haven’t seen it but I’m assuming they slowed it down and saw it. It’s been a little bit of an issue. It’s a fine line with those things.

“The players are aware of that, they don’t want to miss games. I think today was more of a desperation tackle than something nasty.

“We’ve had to deal with that a few times this year and you can’t go on doing it like that because eventually we’ll pay a price for it, and we did against Chelsea.

“It’s something we talk about constantly but it’s a fine line between their commitment to what we’re trying to do and not overstepping the mark.”

Forest boss Steve Cooper bemoaned the error that led to Tottenham’s second goal that left his side with a mountain to climb.

Under pressure from Heung-min Son, Turner’s attempted clearance went straight to Kulusevski, who rifled into the net to make it 2-0.

Cooper said: “The result is obviously the most important and will always write the narrative and we accept that.

“I think we sort of played the game we thought was the right one to play in terms of playing on a fairly closed pitch and not trying to give Spurs too much space to play in because we could see how dangerous they can be.

“Obviously the goal, we’ve come off the plan, we haven’t doubled up, we’ve let him come inside.

“It’s the one time they’ve put a real free cross in and we’ve not marked in the box. And that’s the level and that’s the bit that we’re not doing very well in terms of when we’re given moments in and around the opponent’s box, we’re not making it count.

“Then obviously we’ve come out and we started the second half well and then the second goal is not something you can do at any level, never mind in the Premier League.

“So that killed the momentum but I’ve got no complaints with the general performance.”

Tottenham moved level with Manchester City for the Champions League places after goals from Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski earned them a 2-0 over Nottingham Forest despite the second-half dismissal of Yves Bissouma.

After a relatively even opening 45 minutes, the visitors went ahead when Kulusevski picked out Richarlison to head home before turning goalscorer to double the advantage.

Bissouma 70th-minute dismissal for a high lunge on Ryan Yates made for a nervy final 20 minutes, but Guglielmo Vicario was relatively unscathed as Tottenham made it back-to-back wins for the first time since October.

Son Heung-min broke through early down the inside left channel, but saw his close-range effort well blocked by Matt Turner in the Forest goal.

Tottenham dominated the early stages, however, their patient build-up play failed to open up the Forest backline and was the home side who created a great chance to open the scoring with 18 minutes on the clock.

A quick break out of defence saw Morgan Gibbs-White feed an inch-perfect ball down the right to Anthony Elanga, but Vicario was quickly off his line to save.

The Forest counter-attack was a danger to Tottenham and another inviting ball forward just failed to pick out Yates as the visitors were given another warning.

Brennan Johnson came close to breaking the deadlock against his former club when his flicked effort midway through the half was clawed away by Turner, with Ben Davies heading the resulting corner harmlessly over.

Pedro Porro headed wide from Son’s cross, but it was Spurs who broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time.

A quick break down the right saw Kulusevski cut back inside on his left foot and his delightful cross was headed home from close range by Richarlison.

After a somewhat cagey opening to the second half, Forest thought they had drawn level in the 57th minute when Elanga turned home Neco Williams’ cross, but VAR intervention ruled the goal offside.

Son forced another save from Turner before Tottenham doubled their lead when a poor clearance from the Forest goalkeeper under pressure from Son went straight to Kulusevski and he made him pay when lashing into the net with his right foot.

Forest’s hopes of a comeback were then given a boost with 20 minutes remaining after Yves Bissouma was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Yates following another VAR decision.

Tottenham reacted by withdrawing Richarlison for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to strengthen the midfield.

Williams saw an effort deflected wide before Harry Toffolo saw his header from the resulting corner somehow kept out by Vicario and Williams struck the post deep into stoppage time, but they could find no way through.

Ange Postecoglou has written a list and checked it twice, but is still patiently waiting to discover if Father Christmas has deemed his work naughty or nice this year.

While all Tottenham and Celtic supporters’ would put the Australian in the latter category for 2023, the fanbases of Arsenal or Rangers may have differing opinions.

Yet regardless of what side of the list Postecoglou ends up on, he knows his wish for Christmas will be difficult to achieve.

With eight players already out injured and Pape Sarr, Yves Bissouma and captain Son Heung-min set to be absent for at least some of January due to international commitments, the Spurs boss would dearly love to get new signings through the door at the beginning of next month.

“I wrote my letter to Santa. Like my kids, now I’ve just got to see whether I’ve been naughty or nice and see what I get mate,” Postecoglou joked when asked about progress on additions ahead of Friday’s trip to Nottingham Forest.

In a more serious tone, he continued: “Obviously with where we’re at injury-wise, the players we’re going to miss, we’ve got some significant games in January and signing somebody late in January could mean they haven’t been able to make an impact in those other games.

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“We’re pushing hard but you need all parties to agree to that.

“Other clubs, particularly if it’s players they want, will be wanting to hold on them for as long as possible for their own reasons through January.

“It is a challenge, I get that, but everyone at the club is working hard to get the best outcomes for us and we’ll see how it goes.”

Spurs boss Postecoglou has made clear his desire to sign a new centre-back in January and a versatile attacking player is also top of the club’s wishlist.

Ange Postecoglou has warned Tottenham defender Cristian Romero that his tackles will be under the spotlight for the rest of the season.

Romero only returned from a three-match ban for his red card against Chelsea earlier this month but faced criticism on Sunday for a poor challenge on Callum Wilson towards the end of Spurs’ 4-1 win over Newcastle.

VAR did review the incident, which stayed as a caution, but if Romero had been sent off, he would have faced a four-match suspension and that would have further depleted a Tottenham team already without eight first-team players for Friday’s trip to Nottingham Forest.

Postecoglou said: “It’s fair to say the spotlight will be on him for the rest of the year.

“Any challenge he does, whether it’s something that’s pretty clear like the Chelsea game or last week, which I thought was as much clumsy as anything else.

“He knows that, he understands that. He’s just got to make the adjustments that he needs to do during the game, but I don’t think it’s a subject for long chats.

“It’s pretty evident the impact he has on us when he’s playing and when he’s not and we much prefer to have him out there.”

Spurs failed to win any of the matches which Romero missed through suspension and his ban coincided with fellow defender Micky van de Ven being sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Van de Ven will not play again until January and, while Postecoglou is pleased with the partnership struck up between Romero and Ben Davies, a left-back by trade, he is keen to bring in another centre-back in January.

“As a team I thought we were a lot more organised with our press (against Newcastle),” Postecoglou added.

“Romero makes a big difference to that but I thought Ben Davies was outstanding as well last week. He’s getting a run of games now but we’ve always got to be mindful he is not a centre-back.

“We’ve been very fortunate that Ben’s been able to fill in for us there. He’s really good at taking in information, he really understands the game, not just his own role but how we want to play and that’s helped him.

“Having Romeo next to him helps in that sense and Vic (Guglielmo Vicario) because he’s taken a bit of a leadership role back there as well.

“Ultimately, we still need to sign another centre-back because at the moment we are a little bit on tenterhooks because if something happens again we are short and we are already short.”

Postecoglou revealed Giovani Lo Celso would miss the clash at Forest with a niggle picked up in training this week.

Boss Steve Cooper praised his battling Nottingham Forest side for ignoring the “sideshow” of his future to claim a point at Wolves.

Cooper was reportedly on the brink of the sack after Wednesday’s 5-0 mauling at Fulham but Forest earned a 1-1 draw at Molineux.

Matheus Cunha cancelled out Harry Toffolo’s opener and Toffolo missed a golden second-half chance to win it.

It was a deserved point and Cooper, celebrating his 44th birthday on Sunday, was cheered off by the visiting fans at full-time.

He said: “I’m not going to lose sight of how much progress we have made, regardless what people want to write. I stay true to myself, represent the club and the city in the best way and stay on task.

“I’ve been here before. It doesn’t go into my mind, the only thing is the hurt after Fulham and how can we put a little bit of that right? The only thing which is important to me is the continued progression of the club. There’s no one person more important.

“I’m really proud of the team, the spirit, togetherness. If you look at the game in isolation, satisfying and fairly positive. If you add into the sideshows which might be going on – especially after Fulham – the players had two ways, to play with fear and hide, or to play with spirt, personality and quality.

“I said to the players just keep going, we know who we are. There will be ups and downs, we’ve had a few too many recently. It will be a rocky road, I believe we will progress this year.

“In normal circumstances it would be a positive day in terms of performance away from home but we’re disappointed with the chances we’ve missed and not winning the game.

“I’m really disappointed with the throw-in decision before their goal, it couldn’t be any worse of a basic human error. They need to do better.”

Toffolo gave Forest the lead after 14 minutes when he headed in Neco Williams’ excellent cross, despite Craig Dawson’s best attempts to clear off the line.

But the visitors failed to build on their lead and allowed Wolves a route back. The hosts dominated first-half possession and found a way through after 32 minutes.

A penetrating move saw Nelson Semedo and Mario Lemina combine to slip in Pablo Sarabia. He cut the ball back for the arriving Cunha to roll in his fifth goal of the season.

Forest would have gone into the break ahead if Cheikhou Kouyate had not shot too close to Jose Sa, after seizing on Max Kilman’s mistake.

The visitors emerged for the second half with more intent and Toffolo should have won it after 69 minutes but headed Williams’ cross over from close range.

Forest still needed Matt Turner to save from Cunha as Wolves extended their own unbeaten home run to six games.

“It would have been a real catastrophe if we hadn’t sealed a point at least,” said boss Gary O’Neil, with Wolves 12th in the Premier League.

“It was a tough game, to go 1-0 down against a team who were here to play very deep. It played into their hands. We responded pretty well and scored a really good goal.

“In the second half we lost our way probably. I leave slightly disappointed, we were trying to get more and we didn’t manage to test them as much as I’d have liked.

“Four points from the three games this week is a good return and 19 points so far is also a good return.”

Nottingham Forest stopped the rot with a battling point at Wolves to give Steve Cooper an early birthday present in the fight for his job.

The under-fire Forest boss, who turns 44 on Sunday, saw his side scrap to a deserved 1-1 draw to end a run of four straight defeats.

Harry Toffolo headed in the opener only for Matheus Cunha to level in the first half at Molineux.

Toffolo missed a fine second-half chance to win it but Forest at least claimed a first away point in two months.

It kept them 16th, five points above the Premier League’s relegation zone, while Wolves sit 12th after stretching their unbeaten home run to six.

Wednesday’s 5-0 thumping at Fulham had pushed Cooper closer to the brink at Forest, with former Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui a contender to replace him.

Defeat at Molineux would reportedly cost him his job and Forest fans unveiled a flag of the boss in support before the game – and they had more to celebrate after 14 minutes.

Cheikhou Kouyate initially won the ball in midfield and, after swapping passes with Morgan Gibbs-White, found Neco Williams on the right.

His excellent delivery reached Toffolo at the far post and the defender’s downward header beat Jose Sa and Craig Dawson’s desperate attempt to clear on the line.

Forest had something to cling to. Cooper had made seven changes from the hammering at Craven Cottage and the much-changed visitors were prepared to dig in and frustrate Wolves.

The hosts pressed with little initial impact, bossing possession, with only Cunha’s tame effort to show for their efforts – until the forward levelled after 32 minutes.

An incisive move cut through Forest with Nelson Semedo and Mario Lemina involved before Pablo Sarabia was slipped in to cut back for Cunha, who steered in his fifth goal of the season from six yards.

Forest’s ambition had seemingly been to protect their lead but, with parity restored, they needed to some more attacking impetus – which only arrived when Wolves gifted them an opening just before the break.

Kouyate seized on Max Kilman’s dawdling and was suddenly clean through but his low shot was saved by Sa’s outstretched leg.

Before that, Wolves had continued to probe without further success and Forest emerged for the second half with the momentum which previously eluded them.

Anthony Elanga rattled the bar from close range, although the flag went up almost immediately, and Cooper’s frustrations boiled over with the boss booked after a decision went against his side.

His mood would have darkened further when Toffolo missed a golden chance to restore Forest’s lead after 69 minutes.

Williams dispossessed Matt Doherty and sent in another excellent delivery only for Toffolo to head over from three yards, to leave Cooper with his head in his hands.

It would have got worse had Matt Turner not saved Cunha’s shot after the striker bundled his way through with 15 minutes left. But, with a point in the bag, Cooper left the pitch being serenaded by the travelling supporters at the end.