LONDON — Nottingham Forest kept their UEFA Champions League hopes alive on Sunday with a crucial 2–1 away victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium, as the Premier League season nears its dramatic conclusion.
Forest took the lead in the 11th minute when Morgan Gibbs-White capitalised on a poor clearance by West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. Gibbs-White calmly slotted the ball into an empty net, later dedicating his goal to Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who is recovering from recent emergency surgery.
The visitors doubled their advantage in the 61st minute through Nikola Milenkovic, who headed home a curling free-kick delivered by Anthony Elanga. The goal was initially flagged for offside but was upheld following a lengthy six-minute VAR review.
West Ham responded late in the match, with Jarrod Bowen scoring a well-placed volley in the 86th minute to cut the deficit. Despite 17 minutes of added time—extended due to a significant VAR malfunction that left match officials without monitor access—Forest held firm to secure all three points.
The result sees Nottingham Forest climb to seventh place in the league standings with 65 points, just one behind a cluster of teams occupying Champions League qualification positions. With only one match left to play—at home against Chelsea—the Tricky Trees remain in contention for a top-four finish.
Forest manager Nuno Espírito Santo praised his side’s performance and mental fortitude. “We started really well and showed strong character to manage the game. This was an important win,” he said post-match.
West Ham remain in 15th place with 40 points and face a challenging off-season as they look to rebuild for next year.
Forest’s final league match could prove decisive as the battle for European football intensifies.
