Nottingham Forest Edge West Ham to Bolster European Hopes

Nottingham Forest continued their impressive form away from home with a crucial 2-1 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium, further strengthening their push for European qualification. Goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Nikola Milenkovic secured all three points for Steve Cooper's men, who are now just three points off second-placed Arsenal in a tightly contested Premier League table.

Early Gift and Dominance

Forest were handed the perfect start after just 11 minutes when Alphonse Areola's mistake gifted Morgan Gibbs-White a chance to power home the opener. The visitors maintained their advantage into the break and doubled it after the hour mark when Milenkovic glanced a superb header past Areola. Despite a lengthy VAR check for offside, the goal was allowed to stand, giving Forest a comfortable cushion.

West Ham’s Late Response Not Enough

West Ham came to life after falling two goals behind, with Jarrod Bowen pulling one back with a stunning volley late on. However, the Hammers could not find an equalizer, extending their winless streak at home to five games (D3, L2). This marks the first time since the 2016-17 season that West Ham have lost their final home game of a Premier League campaign.

Forest's Historic Away Form

This victory marked Nottingham Forest's 10th Premier League away win of the season—twice as many as their previous two campaigns combined. It also equals their best-ever tally of away victories in a top-flight season, matching their records from 1977-78, 1978-79, and 1994-95.

Additionally, Anthony Elanga notched his 11th assist of the season, ranking only behind Mohamed Salah (18) and Jacob Murphy (12) in the Premier League. His tally is also the most by a Nottingham Forest player in a single top-flight campaign since Bryan Roy in 1994-95.

What’s Next?

Nottingham Forest’s hopes of European football are alive and well, with just three points separating them from second place. They face a monumental clash against Chelsea—who sit just one point above them in fourth—on the final day of the season. Meanwhile, West Ham remain in 15th and will look to end their season on a high against Ipswich Town, who have already been relegated.