Despite leading 1-0 at half-time thanks to a well-taken finish from Chris Wood, Nottingham Forest failed to kill off the game away to Luton Town on Saturday afternoon, with Luke Berry firing home an 89th-minute equaliser to give Rob Edwards' side a valuable point.
The point, which was the Reds' first since the 2-0 win over West Ham United on February 17th, keeps them three points clear of the Hatters and moves them level on points with Sean Dyche's Everton.
After a run of three consecutive Premier League defeats, the draw at Kenilworth Road could be a valuable one by the end of the campaign.
However, the Tricky Trees could have come away with a rare away win had they finished clear-cut chances – a real theme of Forest's campaign so far.
Players such as Morgan Gibbs-White and Murillo impressed once more, but one Forest player failed to make an impact on the game, in what was his first start in 2024.
Ibrahim Sangare's performance v Luton in numbers
After featuring for the Ivory Coast at the African Cup of Nations, Forest midfielder Ibrahim Sangare was absent for multiple months and subsequently made his first start of the calendar year during yesterday's draw.
However, the 26-year-old failed to make a positive impact on the game, with the former PSV midfielder looking rusty and out of sorts for large spells during the encounter.
Sangare was dribbled past four times during his 90 minutes on the pitch, also losing nine duels with the Ivorian failing to make his mark and hold down the midfield for Nuno Espírito Santo's side.
The midfielder was just as poor in possession, completing just 17 passes and failing to complete a single dribble as he failed to create opportunities after regaining possession.
Many fans may well have been calling for Sangare to be introduced to the starting lineup. However, his display yesterday was one to forget, with the midfielder failing to take the opportunity with both hands.
His display at Kenilworth Road saw Nottinghamshire Live Forest correspondent Sarah Clapson give the 26-year-old a measly 6/10 rating – not what you'd expect from a player who cost the club £35m last summer.
The man to replace Sangare after the international break
The Reds now have a two-week break before taking on Crystal Palace at the City Ground, in what is yet another huge game as the club looks to cement their Premier League status.
However, after his latest display, Sangare should drop to the bench, with Argentinian Nicolas Dominguez more than deserving of a recall.
When comparing the two in the Premier League this season, Dominguez blows Sangare out of the water in multiple key areas in and out of possession.
The former Bologna midfielder averages four tackles won per 90 in the league this season, a tally that beats Sangare by 0.5 per game – with ball-winning one of Sangare's best qualities.
In possession, the gap between the two is astronomical, with Dominguez completing 84% of passes attempted all campaign, with Sangare trailing the Argentinian with his tally of 80%.
Tackles
4
3.5
Progressive Passes
5
3.9
Pass Completion Rate
84%
80%
Dominguez's box-to-box nature sees him make more forward passes, as demonstrated in his tally of five per game, 1.1 more than the Ivorian who usually likes to regain possession before laying the ball off, allowing others to progress the play.
Sangare joined the City Ground side with a huge reputation and a lot of hype, but he's not being utilised in his natural 'number six' role, with his game suffering as a result. Nuno could be the man to unlock his abilities, but unfortunately, the Forest faithful are yet to see the towering gem at his best.
