Nottingham Forest kept their UEFA Champions League hopes alive with a gritty 2-1 win over West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday.
Knowing that only a victory would preserve their top-five ambitions, Forest started with urgency and were rewarded just 11 minutes in. Morgan Gibbs-White pounced on a poor clearance by West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola to calmly slot home the opener. The midfielder dedicated his goal to teammate Taiwo Awoniyi, who is recovering from abdominal surgery.
Forest doubled their lead in the 61st minute through defender Nikola Milenkovic, whose composed finish put the visitors in a commanding position.
However, West Ham refused to go quietly. Jarrod Bowen produced a moment of magic, smashing in a superb volley to make it 2-1 and set up a nervy ending.
The Hammers piled on the pressure during a remarkable 16 minutes of stoppage time, but Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels stood firm, producing a crucial late save to deny Niclas Fullkrug an equaliser.
The victory keeps Nottingham Forest in seventh place but now level on points with Manchester City, and just one behind Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Newcastle United — all of whom were also in action on Sunday. With the race for Champions League spots tightening, Forest’s final fixtures will be crucial in determining their European fate.
