Vitor Pereira urges Nottingham Forest to end season on high and reach Europa League final

[p]Pereira's side will defend a 1-0 lead from the semi-final first leg as they [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/aston-villa-W00wmLO0/nottingham-UsushcZr/?mid=SOEkFMVh"]look to reach a European final for the first time in 46 years.[/a][/p][p]Not since the halcyon days of Brian Clough, who masterminded the club's European Cup triumphs in 1979 and 1980, have [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nottingham/UsushcZr/"]Forest[/a] played for a major continental trophy.[/p][p]In their first European semi-final since 1983/84, Forest have a slender advantage thanks to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wood-chris/Cp7L7Gro/"]Chris Wood[/a]'s penalty at the City Ground last week.[/p][p]If Pereira's men can finish the job at Villa Park, they would face Portuguese side [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/braga/dpUer7ht/"]Braga[/a] or German club [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/freiburg/fiEQZ7C7/"]Freiburg[/a] in the final in Istanbul on May 20.[/p][p]Forest will go into the second leg on a high after a 3-1 win at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] on Sunday, which moved them six points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.[/p][p]Pereira made eight changes against Chelsea, but the understudies secured a third successive league win as Forest's unbeaten run in all competitions stretched to 10 matches.[/p][embed guid="7cf1483f-3b00-4e42-b192-7f281c0db8c8" url="https://x.com/NFFC/status/2051549956368949385" social-type="twitter" /][p]With his stars rested, Pereira believes that Forest can enjoy a golden end to the season.[/p][p][b]"I said to them: you are a special group because you work with four different managers, different ways to think football, different methodologies,"[/b] said Pereira, who took charge in February.[/p][p][b]"You faced a difficult season. Now you are in a moment we decide everything. We can finish the season in a fantastic way."[/b][/p][h2]'An inspiration for us'[/h2][p]Winning the Europa League and ensuring Premier League survival would make Pereira part of Forest folklore.[/p][p]But he insisted that would not put him on a par with Clough, who also led Forest to the English title and is immortalised with a statue in Nottingham city centre.[/p][p][b]"If we want to put our name in the history of this club, we need to get to the final, to win the final,"[/b] he said.[/p][p][b]"I don't want my statue anywhere but we can imagine what he was in this city. For the new generations, for sure it's an inspiration for us."[/b][/p][p]Forest are playing in Europe for the first time since 1995/96 as they chase a first major trophy since the 1990 League Cup.[/p][p]They have not been in any major final since losing to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Manchester United[/a] in the 1992 League Cup.[/p][embed guid="380fd7fe-b0e2-4d9a-88b3-4e1726458e9a" url="https://x.com/NFFC/status/2050576042448789657" social-type="twitter" /][p]After the sackings of Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche, Pereira has revitalised a club starved of success over the past three decades.[/p][p]In contrast to Forest's vibrant form, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aston-villa/W00wmLO0/"]Villa[/a] slipped to a third successive defeat in all competitions after Unai Emery made seven changes for Saturday's 2-1 loss at home to lowly [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tottenham/UDg08Ohm/"]Tottenham[/a].[/p][p]Revealing he had been forced to remind his players of the principles of his reign, a visibly agitated Emery said: [b]"I am here for more than three years, and how we have done everything, I don't forget it.[/b][/p][p][b]"We spoke in the dressing room after the first half about it. We can perform better or worse, but I am not losing my mind and my point of view about how I want to get it."[/b][/p][p]Emery has a well-earned reputation as a Europa League specialist after winning the competition three times with Sevilla and once with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/villarreal/lUatW5jE/"]Villarreal[/a], as well as finishing as a runner-up with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a].[/p][p]But Villa have been semi-final flops under Emery, losing in the last four against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ol-nicosia/8IA9VBH2/"]Olympiakos[/a] in the 2023/2024 UEFA Conference League and to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/crystal-palace/AovF1Mia/"]Crystal Palace[/a] in the FA Cup last season.[/p][p]Villa have not won a major trophy since the 1996 League Cup, while their last major continental final was the 1982 European Cup triumph against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayern-munich/nVp0wiqd/"]Bayern Munich[/a].[/p]