Lichaj's Dream Day

On This Day in 2018, Two Goals, One Upset and the Promise of a Puppy

Eric Lichaj had spent a decade navigating the unglamorous reality of English football—loan spells in the lower leagues, injury setbacks that threatened World Cup dreams and years disappearing from the national team picture. By January 2018, the 29-year-old American defender had settled into something resembling career stability at Nottingham Forest, a club that had spent the previous five years as a punchline. He was a steady presence at right back for a Championship side hovering in mid-table mediocrity, exactly the sort of reliable professional whose contributions rarely make headlines beyond local match reports.

Then Arsenal came to the City Ground for an FA Cup third-round tie on January 7, and Lichaj scored twice in the biggest upset of the weekend.

The circumstances could hardly have been more chaotic for Forest. Manager Mark Warburton had been sacked just seven days earlier following a listless home defeat to struggling Sunderland, the latest casualty in years of instability that had seen eight permanent managers cycle through in five seasons under previous owner Fawaz al-Hasawi. New ownership under Evangelos Marinakis—himself facing match-fixing charges in Greece that he denied—had brought some structural improvements to the shambles, but Forest remained 14th in the Championship, having won just once in their previous seven league matches. Academy manager Gary Brazil took charge as caretaker, admitting with weary resignation that he had expected to spend his Sunday watching the Under-23s play at Alfreton.

Arsenal arrived as overwhelming favorites despite Arsene Wenger making nine changes from the side that had drawn with Chelsea in midweek. The Frenchman, serving the first match of a three-game touchline ban and forced to watch from the stands, clearly prioritized the upcoming Carabao Cup semi-final over defending the FA Cup trophy his side had won three times in four years. It was the sort of calculated gamble that had worked countless times before. Not this time. Forest attacked from the opening whistle with an intensity that suggested Brazil's instructions were simple: make them uncomfortable, refuse to give them space, set a tempo Arsenal's reserves couldn't match.

The breakthrough arrived in the 20th minute when Kieran Dowell swung in a free kick from the right. Lichaj, unmarked at the near post, powered a header past David Ospina. The lead lasted barely three minutes—Per Mertesacker pounced after Rob Holding's header struck the post—but Forest's belief never wavered. They continued pressing, continued winning challenges, and continued refusing to behave like a side supposed to roll over for Premier League opposition.

Just before halftime, Holding attempted to clear another dangerous cross but only succeeded in heading the ball directly into Lichaj's path 18 yards from goal. The American controlled it with his chest, let the ball drop, and struck it on the volley with his right foot. The technique was immaculate—a dipping, swerving shot that arrowed past Ospina into the far corner. The City Ground erupted. Lichaj belly-flopped in celebration, sliding across the turf as teammates piled on.

The second half brought more drama. Ben Brereton converted a penalty after Holding upended Matty Cash, extending the lead to 3-1. Danny Welbeck pulled one back when goalkeeper Jordan Smith fumbled a through ball, briefly threatening a comeback, but Mathieu Debuchy's clumsy challenge on Armand Traore handed Forest a second penalty in the 85th minute. Lichaj desperately wanted to take it. His wife, Kathryn, had made him a promise: score a hat trick any time in 2018, and he could get a dog. David Vaughan, Forest's veteran midfielder, had other ideas. "I was trying to get the penalty," Lichaj admitted afterward, "but Vaughany told me politely—I don't want to say what he said to me—to go away."

Dowell stepped up and converted, sealing the 4-2 victory. Joe Worrall's late red card for a reckless tackle provided a tense final few moments, but the upset was complete. Arsenal had lost an FA Cup third-round tie for the first time since January 1996, seven months before Wenger even arrived at the club. The Frenchman, whose seven FA Cup triumphs had provided cover during a Premier League title drought stretching back to 2004, could only acknowledge his side had been second best. "They were sharper than us," he said, "more incisive and more dominant in the challenges."

For Lichaj, the performance represented vindication of a circuitous journey that had included two knee injuries before age 21, a breakthrough season at Aston Villa followed by release, a two-year exile from the national team under Jurgen Klinsmann, and the constant uncertainty of never quite establishing himself at the highest level. The two goals were his first in a single match across 254 professional appearances for six different clubs. He had scored just seven times in his entire career before Sunday. The volley, struck with such confidence and precision, would later be voted the FA Cup Goal of the Season for 2017-18.

The internet, naturally, fixated on the dog. Lichaj's post-match revelation about the hat trick bet immediately spawned the hashtag #GetEricADog, which trended on Monday morning as Forest teammates and strangers alike bombarded Kathryn Lichaj with photos and memes. "She was acting tough on the radio," Lichaj tweeted, "sooo if anyone is bored on this Monday morning send dog pics, memes, gifs." The campaign worked. The following day, Lichaj announced the newest member of the family on social media: a puppy named Gunner, after the team he had just humiliated. Arsenal fans, still processing the embarrassment, could only appreciate the audacity of the troll.

The upset gave Forest a brief respite from managerial chaos—Brazil remained in charge through the Bolton replay before Aitor Karanka was appointed—and offered Lichaj one of those rare, perfect moments that make the grind of a journeyman career worthwhile. He would earn another call-up to the United States squad that spring and continue as a regular for Forest through the end of the season before moving to Hull City in June. But nothing would quite match the surreal joy of January 7, 2018, when an American defender nobody expected much from scored twice against Arsenal, nearly earned himself a dog, and reminded everyone that cup football still had room for implausible stories.