Brighton & Nottingham Forest Set for Historic FA Cup Quarter-Final Clash
For the first time in FA Cup history, Premier League sides Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest will go head-to-head in a thrilling quarter-final encounter at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
Brighton secured their place in the last eight with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Newcastle United, while Nuno Espirito Santo’s team needed a penalty shootout to edge past a resilient Ipswich Town.
Match Preview
In a chaotic last-16 battle on March 2, Brighton dashed Newcastle’s hopes of a domestic cup double. The match saw Anthony Gordon’s heated altercation with Jan Paul van Hecke and Tariq Lamptey’s dismissal for two bookable offenses, leaving both teams reduced to 10 men in extra time.
Yankuba Minteh had previously equalized following an early strike from Alexander Isak, but Brighton’s hero was once again Danny Welbeck, who netted the decisive goal—just as he had done at St James’ Park in their Premier League meeting last October.
The Seagulls are aiming to lift the FA Cup for the first time and secure just their second major trophy, following their 1910 Charity Shield success. They have a strong track record at this stage, having progressed from their last two quarter-final appearances in 2019 and 2023.
However, the international break may have disrupted Brighton’s momentum. Before their 2-2 draw with Manchester City—where they twice fought back to claim a point—they had won six consecutive matches. During this unbeaten streak, they scored at least twice in every game. Notably, this impressive run began after suffering a humiliating 7-0 defeat at the hands of their upcoming opponents.
Nottingham Forest kicked off February with that emphatic thrashing of Brighton but have since experienced mixed results in the Premier League. Despite some inconsistency, a strong spring campaign has kept them firmly in third place.
Their most recent outing saw them prevail in a six-goal thriller against Ipswich, just days after eliminating the same side on penalties in the FA Cup last 16. This marks Forest’s second quarter-final appearance in four years.
However, advancing beyond this stage has proven challenging for the Tricky Trees, as they have fallen short in their last three FA Cup quarter-final ties. Their most recent semi-final appearance dates back to 1991, when they finished as runners-up to Tottenham Hotspur.
Now, both sides will battle it out for a coveted spot in the final four, with Brighton eager to maintain their cup form and Nottingham Forest determined to break their quarter-final curse.
