HUGE BLOW FOR REDS IN THEIR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PURSUIT

AND so the dial has shifted. Nottingham Forest are suddenly facing a different kind of challenge.

- By SARAH CLAPSON

They are not out of the race yet but Champions League qualification is now out of their own hands. For so long the hunted, now they must become the hunter and hope others slip up in the remaining four rounds of fixtures.

A team which has given so much for so long has the look of one staggering with the finish line in sight. Many of the players look spent and nerves are starting to kick in.

Thursday night's 2-0 defeat at home to Brentford was a hammer blow to the Reds' hopes of finishing in the Premier League's top five and securing passage to Europe's elite club competition.

It was also far removed from many of the qualities which have defined this special season under Nuno Espirito Santo, not least defensive solidity.

Below is a look at some of the big talking points from the City Ground.

Dismal defending

Forest have been a team renowned for being rock-solid at the back. After all, goalkeeper Matz Sels is still in contention for the Premier League golden glove award and the centre-back partnership of Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo has been, rightly, lauded by fans and pundits alike.

Two simple long balls over the top did for the Reds on Thursday night, though. The second was almost a carbon copy of the first and neither were dealt with.

The returning Ola Aina was caught out the first time as Kevin Schade opened the scoring. And then it was the turn of Milenkovic and Murillo for the second one as Yoane Wissa - a striker Forest made a bid for in January - put the seal on the result.

Wissa's strike seemed to happen in slow motion. Chris Wood and Anthony Elanga watched on near the halfway line in disbelief before putting their heads in their hands.