Nottingham Forest endured a night of frustration in the Europa League as they were held to a goalless draw by Sturm Graz, with Morgan Gibbs-White missing a first-half penalty.
Manager Sean Dyche made seven alterations to the line-up that faced Manchester United at the weekend, with several injuries forcing his hand. Despite the changes, Forest produced enough chances to claim victory but could not find a breakthrough.
The captain had the best opportunity to open the scoring ten minutes before the interval after Emanuel Aiwu handled inside the area. However, Gibbs-White’s tame strike was comfortably stopped by Oliver Christensen, who dove to his left, and Ryan Yates failed to convert the rebound.
Earlier in the half, James McAtee narrowly missed the target following a rehearsed free-kick routine, while Yates saw his close-range header cleared off the line by Arjan Malic after Nikola Milenkovic kept a corner alive.
Forest continued to press late on and came within inches of winning the match when Nicolas Dominguez’s long-range shot deflected onto the crossbar. The hosts had their own scare before the penalty incident, with Maurice Malone’s tap-in disallowed for offside after John Victor’s save rebounded into his path.
The result leaves Forest sitting 18th on five points in the league phase, just ahead of Sturm Graz, who remain a point behind in 23rd.
New recruits fail to make an impression
With Igor Jesus suspended and Chris Wood sidelined through injury, Arnaud Kalimuendo made his first start for the club following his £26m move from Rennes. The forward struggled to influence proceedings, touching the ball only seven times before the break despite Forest enjoying the majority of possession.
Early on, he hesitated inside the box when presented with a clear sight of the goal, choosing an unsuccessful pass to McAtee rather than taking on the shot himself. Later, he was played through by Neco Williams but again failed to test the goalkeeper, a moment that underlined his lack of sharpness.
McAtee, another of the summer signings, also had a disappointing evening. The midfielder, making his sixth appearance since joining from Manchester City, came closest to scoring within the opening ten minutes but dragged his effort inches wide of the far post.
Although he showed flashes of his creativity, the 21-year-old’s 70% pass success rate reflected an inconsistent display, as Forest’s attacking play faltered in key moments.
Missed opportunities leave progress uncertain
Dyche’s men created enough chances to win but were left to rue poor finishing and misfortune in front of goal. With qualification hopes still alive, Forest will need sharper performances from their new additions and senior players alike in upcoming matches.
The goalless draw extended their run of competitive fixtures without a victory but also demonstrated defensive resilience, as they restricted the Austrian side to few clear chances.
As the Europa League phase tightens, Dyche will look for a clinical edge to convert possession and pressure into points.
