Ryan Yates the architect as Nottingham Forest set up first FA Cup quarter-final in 26 years

Everyone loves a footballing underdog. The fan favourite that doesn’t get the deserved recognition outside their club’s fanbase. Right now, Ryan Yates is that man at Nottingham Forest.

Having scored his fifth league goal of the campaign in dramatic fashion on Friday night as the midfielder’s added-time equaliser saw Forest take a point against fellow playoff hopefuls Sheffield United, the 24-year-old then had to direct his attention to an FA Cup fifth-round tie against Huddersfield Town.

Prior to Monday evening’s contest, Steve Cooper’s side had already orchestrated one of this season’s best FA Cup narratives.

The Reds famously overcame record competition winners Arsenal 1-0 in the third round before a colossal 4-1 thrashing of East Midlands rivals Leicester City set up a third home tie against fellow Championship outfit Huddersfield.

Given that just seven league places separate the two sides the tie wasn’t, on paper, going to prove as tall a task to overcome as the Nottinghamshire club’s previous two matches in the cup. However, Cooper’s men were facing a rigid Terriers unit that hadn’t lost a single game since November.

Although the Yorkshire outfit had made six changes for the cup tie compared to Forest’s two, Carlos Corberan’s men showed why they’ve recently climbed into the Championship’s automatic promotion places as unmarked defender Tom Lees rose highest from a corner routine to give the visitors a 13th minute lead at the City Ground.

The hosts felt particularly hard done by given that just moments earlier striker Sam Surridge had seen a perfectly good goal flagged for offside. VAR’s absence in the FA Cup at grounds whose status lie below the Premier League was once again at the forefront.

Cooper’s men could’ve easily let the double blow end up being of knockout-level magnitude, but there’s a reason why the Reds have gone from the bottom of the league to playoff contenders since the Welshman’s arrival in September. A major catalyst for their turnaround was the aforementioned Yates.

Although his touch in the build-up was slight, the Nottingham-born midfielder played a major part in the hosts’ equaliser as James Garner executed a perfectly weighted through-ball from deep for the 24-year-old.

Huddersfield’s defensive duo of Lees and Naby Saar attempted to beat Yates to the ball, but the latter was able to get a slight knick to see it fall into the path of Surridge who ensured this time his name was on the scoresheet, emphatically finishing past Jamal Blackman.

Eight minutes later the Englishman was involved again for Forest, but this time made the decisive touch as the 6’2” maestro rose highest to convert Garner’s free-kick delivery from close range, very similar to his goal against the Blades three days prior.

Goals scored by Ryan Yates aren’t usually a frequent occurrence, but the Englishman now has four goals in his last nine appearances for his hometown club. However, the midfielder had to resort back to his usual defensive duties in the middle of the park for a scrappy second half.

That’s exactly what the 24-year-old did, winning the ball back frequently and making his colossal presence felt as Forest secured their first FA Cup quarter-final since 1996, with man-of-the-match Yates the architect.

??????? Ryan Yates v. Huddersfield

• 1 goal
• 1 assist
• 1 big chance created
• 2 successful dribbles
• 2 interceptions
• 5 clearances
• 5 tackles
• 8 ground duels won
• 92% duels won (11/12)
• MOTM?

One of the best all-round performances in the #FACup so far. pic.twitter.com/O5O62tbtpC

— Matchday365 (@Matchday365) March 7, 2022

That first final eight tie in 26 years will come later this month against Liverpool, a fixture that back in the 1980s would’ve been mouth-watering.

To host one of European football’s giants will be a major occasion for Steve Cooper’s men, who was a youth coach for the Reds earlier in his career and it will give players, like Yates, a taste of what may be to come if the East Midlands club can pull off a dream finale to this campaign.