Premier League club sacks head coach days before Arsenal clash

 A Premier League club has decided to part company with its manager only a few days before facing Arsenal, bringing an abrupt end to a turbulent spell marked by internal tensions and public disagreements.

Nottingham Forest Football Club confirmed on Tuesday that Nuno Espirito Santo had been dismissed, ending his tenure less than two years after he was appointed.

“Nottingham Forest Forest , following recent circumstances, Nuno Espirito Santo has today been relieved of his duties as Head Coach,” the club’s statement read.

Espirito Santo, who arrived in December 2023, initially helped Forest avoid relegation before leading them to an impressive seventh-place finish last season — their highest in three decades — which secured a Europa League return after 29 years. “As someone who played a pivotal role in our success last season, he will always hold a special place in our journey,” the club added.

Despite that progress, cracks in the relationship between Espirito Santo and owner Evangelos Marinakis had deepened.

The Portuguese coach admitted last month there was “no smoke without fire” regarding speculation about their strained communication, revealing the two rarely spoke. Tensions also flared in May when Marinakis entered the pitch following a 2-2 draw with Leicester City, although Forest later dismissed talk of a heated confrontation as “fake news.”

The 51-year-old, who previously managed Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, had signed an extension until 2028 in June. But frustrations over transfer activity contributed to the breakdown. He described the squad as “unbalanced” and in need of reinforcements, despite the arrivals of James McAtee, Omari Hutchinson, Arnaud Kalimuendo and Douglas Luiz, while Morgan Gibbs-White stayed on amid outside interest.

Forest currently sit 10th in the table after a 3-0 home defeat to West Ham last month. Their next challenge comes away to Arsenal on Saturday.