'Brilliant': Michael Dawson seriously impressed by £5.9m Nottingham Forest ace during win over Luton
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A number of Nottingham Forest’s fringe stars were crucial in the 2-0 FA Cup victory over Luton Town on Saturday, with Forest legend Michael Dawson particularly impressed by one player.
The momentum under Nuno Espirito Santo shows no sign of slowing as Forest beat Luton to advance into the fourth round of the FA Cup in a game which gave vital rest to several of Forest’s key men.
Murillo and Morgan Gibbs-White, amongst others, watched on as the Forest squad showed its depth, with Ramon Sosa impressing against Luton in particular.
Forest fans hailed Sosa for his display that saw him score from the left flank as well as assist Ryan Yates for the game’s opener.
However, Forest Academy graduate and Sky Sports pundit, Michael Dawson, picked out another man who played a telling role in the FA Cup triumph.
Michael Dawson on ‘brilliant’ Jota Silva vs Luton
With Sosa on the left replacing Callum Hudson-Odoi, Espirito Santo also chose to rest Anthony Elanga on the right and give Jota Silva a rare start.
Silva signed for Forest from Vitoria Guimaraes in the summer but has only made three league starts for the club, clearly showing that he had a point to prove against Luton with an electrifying display.
Tormenting the Luton defence throughout, Silva was able to break the backline in the second half and cross excellently for Sosa, a piece of play that impressed Dawson who covered the game for Sky Sports.
On the goal, Dawson said: “Jota Silva – brilliant. He gets just outside the six-yard box and then it’s a right-foot tap-in for Sosa. Keeper no chance.”
As well as the assist, Silva’s stats from the game may give him the chance to push Elanga for his starting spot in the Forest squad.
Jota Silva’s game in numbers vs Luton
Silva was eventually replaced by Elanga in the 74th minute but he did more than enough in the game to provide competition for the Swedish winger.
Including the assist, Silva created three chances for his Forest teammates in a game that lacked an abundance of scoring opportunities.
He also completed four passes into the final third and a single dribble, which was particularly difficult considering how Luton sat deep against Espirito Santo’s side.
Silva impressed Espirito Santo against Arsenal in November, a display that saw him start the following game against Ipswich. The Portuguese winger will be hoping that something similar will come from his excellent performance against Luton.
