In half a yard of space, Surridge pulls the trigger from inside the area, but Ndidi positions himself perfectly to block the ball behind for a Forest corner.
90' +3
Faes does well to block out a Williams cross from the right, and Leicester end up with a goal-kick. They're staring another defeat in the face here - and this one will really hurt.
86'
N. Williams enters the game and replaces B. Johnson.
For removing his shirt during some passionate goal celebrations, Johnson is shown a yellow card.
Receiving a rapturous round of applause upon his removal from the field, goalscorer Johnson makes way for Williams.
85'
B. Johnson has scored a goal for Nottingham Forest! Assist by M. Gibbs-White.
B. Johnson gets yellow.
84'
JOHNSON WINS IT! Following a driving run and curved throughball with the outside of Gibbs-White's boot, Johnson races on to the ball on the right side of the box; coolly steadying himself before driving it into the bottom-left corner with aplomb! That's 2-0 to Forest and surely game over!
A brilliant run from halfway and an outside-of-the-boot pass by Gibbs-White tees up Johnson to score his second goal from the right side of the area.
82'
Ndidi overruns the ball on the left byline, and it rolls harmlessly out for a Forest goal-kick. That will eat up more valuable time for the Reds, who are closing in on a precious three points.
80'
Tielemans is fortunate to avoid a second booking for lunging into a tackle on O'Brien outside his own area. It's only a free-kick, but the referee has exercised some extreme leniency there.
79'
After a long delay, Lodi puts his free-kick from a central position straight into the defensive wall, and the ball spins behind for a corner on the left.
77'
D. Amartey gets yellow.
For a high boot on the edge of his own area, Amartey sees yellow and gifts Nottingham Forest a free-kick 20 yards from goal.
Minute
Description
75'
Leicester finally exert some pressure on their hosts' defence, but Colback does well to head the ball clear and spring his team away on the counter.
72'
Somehow, Lodi's whipped cross along the area from a left-sided free-kick evades everyone amassed in the centre, and Leicester survive a scare.
70'
L. O'Brien enters the game and replaces O. Mangala.
Cooper responds with a substitution of his own: Mangala makes way for O'Brien.
68'
K. Ịheanachọ enters the game and replaces M. Albrighton.
L. Brunt enters the game and replaces L. Thomas.
D. Praet enters the game and replaces N. Mendy.
Mendy makes way for Praet in midfield.
Finally, Thomas comes off and Brunt is brought on.
Rodgers has seen enough: the Leicester boss makes a triple change. First, Albrighton is replaced by Iheanacho.
67'
Lodi intervenes again, this time blocking an attempted cross from Leicester skipper Albrighton, before earning a free-kick which releases the pressure building on his side.
65'
Vardy stands a ball up to the centre from out on the left byline, but Lodi stays calm enough to chest it back to Henderson from five yards and quell any danger.
63'
Slipping as he strikes his cross from the left touchline, Aurier sends the ball straight into the outstretched arms of Ward inside Leicester's six-yard box.
60'
The City Ground is now in full voice following Johnson's opener, and Leicester must come up with a response in the final half-hour or slip three points behind their neighbours in the table.
56'
B. Johnson has scored a goal for Nottingham Forest! Assist by M. Gibbs-White.
Gibbs-White finds strike partner Johnson with a throughball to the right; setting up the game's opening goal.
FOREST LEAD! Played through by Gibbs-White with a precision pass, Johnson just beats Leicester's offside trap to take the ball in his stride and round Ward. He then slots the ball into an empty net, and following a VAR review he is adjudged to have been onside - the goal is given: it's 1-0 to the hosts!
55'
S. Surridge enters the game and replaces Gustavo Scarpa.
Scarpa's Premier League debut is brought to an early conclusion, as Surridge comes on to bolster Nottingham Forest's front line.
54'
With a last-gasp intervention, Faes forces Gibbs-White wide in the area, and with Ward drawn out of position in the Leicester goal, Freuler fires well over the crossbar from inside the box.
52'
Lodi is still moving gingerly following his collision with Castagne earlier in the half, but he hobbles on for now. Williams may be preparing himself for action on the Forest bench.
48'
Fully committed, Lodi and Castagne slide into a 50-50 challenge deep inside Leicester's half, and though both seem to have taken a heavy blow they ultimately return to their feet and the game gets back under way.
46'
J. Colback enters the game and replaces R. Yates.
The home side have made a half-time change, as Yates - who picked up an injury towards the end of the first half - makes way for Colback in midfield.
Nottingham Forest kick off, and we are back under way at the City Ground!
45' +1
HALF-TIME: NOTTINGHAM FOREST 0-0 LEICESTER CITY
44'
Under pressure from Gibbs-White in the box, Faes sends an industrial clearance into touch. Forest then waste the throw-in and Leicester set off on a counter-attack, which also comes to nothing: it looks like we'll remain level at the half-time break.
42'
Barnes' ball around the corner into the box forces Forest into a panicked clearance, and following the subsequent throw-in, Tielemans lashes at a difficult half-volleyed attempt and sends it rocketing over the crossbar.
39'
Caught in two minds near the byline, Aurier takes in Yates' pass but then steers it harmlessly wide of the target.
37'
The ball just brushes the top of Castagne's head near the penalty spot, following Albrighton's corner-kick from the right, and the home side are soon able to clear it away from immediate danger.
35'
Freuler is penalised for pulling back Barnes, resulting in a free-kick near the centre-circle for the visitors, who have competed well in this first half so far.
33'
Both Tielemans and Barnes are called upon to support their defence with clearing headers following Forest's second corner of the contest - this time swung over by Gibbs-White from the left.
31'
From Forest's first corner, taken by Gibbs-White from the right, Leicester get the ball clear amid an aerial battle in their box.
29'
Y. Tielemans gets yellow.
Mistiming a tackle from behind on Yates in midfield, Leicester's Tielemans becomes the first player booked by the referee today.
28'
Scarpa cleverly draws a foul from Ndidi outside Leicester's box; setting up a good free-kick opportunity for his team from just over 20 yards. However, Gibbs-White's attempt is charged down by the defensive wall.
26'
A scrappy spell in midfield sees several full-blooded challenges unchecked by the referee, and the action continues at quite a pace heading towards the half-hour mark.
22'
Three consecutive corners ultimately come to nothing for the visitors, with Mangala managing to block a Barnes shot inside the box from the final set-piece in the series.
20'
After Barnes helps on a straight ball up from the back by Thomas with his head, Tielemans latches onto it and sends a shot dipping wide of the left-hand post via a deflection. That's a corner for Leicester.
16'
Following some sharp footwork from Premier League debutant Scarpa, 20 yards from goal, the Brazilian curls a shot at goal which strays too close to Ward, who then makes a routine save.
13'
At full stretch, Johnson is just unable to get a toe on Lodi's low cross from the left flank, which rolls by and into the gloves of Ward inside the Leicester keeper's six-yard box.
8'
Closing down Aurier by the corner flag, Barnes wins a corner on the left-hand side. Nottingham Forest are ultimately able to clear their lines, however, and progress the ball upfield.
6'
Barnes receives the ball on the edge of the Forest box, but after a loose first touch can only steer a tame low shot straight at a well-placed Henderson in the centre of his goal.
4'
After Freuler is allowed plenty of time to look up and sling over an inswinging cross from the left, Yates can't connect cleanly with his effort at goal near the back post - it strikes his shoulder and flies wide of the target.
3'
A high-tempo start on the pitch has matched the lively atmosphere in the stands for this local derby, but neither side has managed to sustain any pressure yet.
1'
Leicester City kick off, and we are under way in Nottingham!
Hello and welcome to live coverage of today's Premier League clash between Nottingham Forest and Leicester City at the City Ground!
Having secured their spot in the EFL Cup semi-finals with a midweek win, Nottingham Forest return to Premier League duty today, seeking to continue their improved form of late. Forest eliminated Wolverhampton Wanderers on penalties on Wednesday - booking a semi-final date with Manchester United - just days after suffering a 4-1 FA Cup humbling at the hands of second-tier Blackpool. Last time out in the Premier League, a 1-0 victory over Southampton lifted them clear of the relegation zone, and Steve Cooper's side are unbeaten in seven successive home matches - including visits from Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
Locked together with their near neighbours on 17 points after 18 Premier League games, Leicester City were knocked out in the EFL Cup quarter-finals by Newcastle United on Tuesday, at St James' Park. The Foxes did beat Gillingham 1-0 in the FA Cup three days beforehand, to progress to the fourth round of the competition they memorably won in 2021, but return to league action following a three-game losing run in the top flight. Brendan Rodgers led his team to a 4-0 demolition of Forest when the clubs met in Leicester last October, and today's visitors could now complete the double over their East Midlands rivals for the first time since the 1971-72 campaign.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST (4-3-1-2): Dean Henderson; Serge Aurier, Joe Worrall, Scott McKenna, Renan Lodi; Orel Mangala, Ryan Yates, Remo Freuler; Gustavo Scarpa; Morgan Gibbs-White, Brennan Johnson.
SUBS: Wayne Hennessey, Neco Williams, Sam Surridge, Emmanuel Dennis, Steve Cook, Lewis O'Brien, Jack Colback, Alex Mighten, Harry Toffolo.
LEICESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): Danny Ward; Timothy Castagne, Wout Faes, Daniel Amartey, Luke Thomas; Wilfred Ndidi, Nampalys Mendy; Marc Albrighton, Youri Tielemans, Harvey Barnes; Jamie Vardy.
SUBS: Daniel Iversen, Kelechi Iheanacho, Caglar Soyuncu, Lewis Brunt, Patson Daka, Kasey McAteer, Jannik Vestergaard, Sammy Braybroke, Dennis Praet.
The players are out on the pitch at a packed City Ground, and kick-off in this East Midlands derby is now just moments away!
Forest have now failed to score a first-half goal in 13 of their 19 Premier League fixtures this season, and lacking a traditional presence up front, can they manage to break the deadlock after the break? For the Foxes, meanwhile, Vardy has had barely a sniff of goal - but Rodgers does have several attacking options available on the bench.
Forest travel to Bournemouth next time out, before tackling the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final tie with Manchester United, while the Foxes lick their wounds and prepare to host Brighton next weekend.
That's all from Nottingham today, so thank you for joining us and goodbye!
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