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On a weekend that will for ever be remembered for Crystal Palace giving hope to underdogs everywhere, Nottingham Forest continued their push against the established order by reviving their unlikely challenge for Champions League qualification with a restorative 2-1 win over West Ham.
It was not all plain sailing at the London Stadium, where a wonderful late goal from Jarrod Bowen paved the way for a frantic and bad-tempered finale, but Forest are not going anywhere yet. They are a point off fifth-placed Aston Villa after battling to only their second win in eight games and will back themselves to finish the job when they host Chelsea in an almighty showdown at the City Ground next weekend.
Do not bet against a side as resilient as Forest. Here they were playing for Taiwo Awoniyi, still recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery on a horrific abdominal injury, and proving that they have not been affected by Evangelos Marinakis’s very public debrief with Nuno Espírito Santo in last weekend’s draw with Leicester City.
Opportunistic goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Nikola Milenkovic carried them into a 2-0 lead and it was impossible not to admire the defiance when the game turned after Bowen scored, Forest forced to endure 17 minutes of added time and the points only secured when Matz Sels, one of their best players this season, made a superb save from Niclas Füllkrug.
Perhaps there were signs of what was to come during a most un-Nuno start. Forest’s rise has been built on parsimonious defending and rapier counterattacks but early jitters threatened to disrupt their plan. There was too much space for West Ham on the flanks and they almost went ahead with their first attack, Vladimir Coufal delivering from the right, Tomas Soucek’s arcing header looping towards the top corner before Sels leapt to his left to make a remarkable flying save.
Forest were lifted by the return of Murillo from a hamstring injury, allowing the Brazilian to link up with Milenkovic in central defence, but they were having surprising problems with Coufal’s raids from wing-back. The Czech Republic international pushed again in the seventh minute and almost marked his penultimate appearance for West Ham with his first goal for the club, only for Sels to push the defender’s deflected shot wide.
It was just as well that West Ham were no more convincing at the back. They wobbled under aerial pressure and should have been behind when a long throw reached Gibbs-White, who volleyed straight at Alphonse Areola from close range. Areola was soon extended again, responding sharply when Chris Wood ran on to a flick from Anthony Elanga and let fly from 25 yards.
That was West Ham’s goalkeeper showcasing the sharper side of his game. But while Areola’s quality as a shot-stopper is not in doubt, he is less sure claiming crosses and even worse with the ball at his feet. Baiting the press? It is not really Areola’s thing and that he is no Ederson was hammered home when he made a disastrous attempt to play out from the back in the 11th minute. Gibbs-White nipped in and whipped the ball into an unguarded net.
While Gibbs-White ran off to celebrate by lifting a shirt in support of Awoniyi, the air went out of West Ham. They have not won once after conceding first this season and have struggled at home under Graham Potter, whose steady approach has had more success in away games.
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Forest remained in control and they soon doubled their lead, although not before the VAR officials had done everything in their power to test the crowd’s patience by spending six minutes checking whether Gibbs-White, who was standing marginally offside, was interfering with play when Milenkovic diverted Elanga’s fizzing free-kick past Areola.
Common sense eventually applied, the goal was given. But with Lucas Paquetá, Füllkrug and Carlos Soler on, West Ham fought back. Potter’s substitutions had made them better, whereas Nuno’s made Forest worse. Sels had to save from Soler and West Ham were back in it when Morato, who had come on to stiffen Nuno’s defence, headed Paquetá’s chipped cross to Bowen, who blasted a volley past Sels.
The board showed 11 minutes of stoppage time. How Forest made their fans sweat. West Ham piled on the pressure and even went close to equalising, Sels repelling Füllkrug’s header. Now for Chelsea.
