Nottingham Forest have rediscovered their identity in the nick of time ...Middle East

West Ham 1-2 Nottingham Forest (Bowen 86’| Gibbs-White 11′, Milenkovic 61′)

LONDON STADIUM — From unimaginable to touchable, from fleeting fantasy to imminent possibility, from heaven to hell and back again, Nottingham Forest are potentially 90 minutes from the Champions League. Somehow this thing is still on. There is no question it would be one of the great achievements of the Premier League era. Its ever-deepening friability only makes it more tantalising.

This was a renewal of Forest’s footballing vows and rediscovery of their identity, a return to their core principles of collectivism and counter-attacking, set-pieces and a deep, unwavering belief in Mats Sels’ brilliance.

"Areola gift wrapping it for Morgan Gibbs-White!"

Nottingham Forest take an early lead! pic.twitter.com/IxaM38xydl

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 18, 2025

Nuno Espirito Santo said his final pre-match message to the players was to “give it a push and a go” for Taiwo Awoniyi after his abdominal injury and subsequent urgent surgery last week. That ordeal appears to have helped reunify this fraying group, refocus hearts and minds in the nick of time.

Morgan Gibbs-White was every sinew the superstar Forest knew him to be, bathed in an easy light; stronger and faster and better than anyone else.

Making the most tackles and winning the most duels, alongside six clearances and four interceptions, Neco Williams reinforced his claim as the Premier League’s most underrated player, while Anthony Elanga’s 11th top-flight assist this season matches the club record. Sels made two remarkable saves to bookend the game.

Of course, if there was ever an environment in which Forest could thrive, this was it. Half-empty and less than half-hearted, the London Stadium was stale and soulless, a plastic den of apathy and disappointment. The reaction to Alphonse Areola’s third error leading to a goal this season – passing directly to Gibbs-White 18 yards out – was wry resignation. There is little reason for these fans to expect anything different.

None of this was helped by a six-minute VAR break to confirm Nikola Milenkovic’s goal, which would have damaged the atmosphere if there had been one to start with. The day after it inexplicably decided the FA Cup final, here it simply succeeded in further boring an already bored stadium, simply delaying the wider priority of leaving as soon as possible.

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The Premier League said recently-introduced semi-automated offside technology was “not available to the VAR in this incident”, alongside “issues with the VAR communications”. For either television or live audiences, this is as unsustainable as it is unacceptable. Wi-Fi issues would be a poor excuse for kids not handing in their homework, let alone delaying a football match.

Next Sunday, Forest and Chelsea risk contesting a deeply funny, deeply chaotic Champions League decider. Both teams will be desperate to have as little of the ball as possible, thriving on the counter, on exploiting complacency and mistakes. Champions League qualification will almost certainly be decided by which club can more successfully spurn possession and hold their nerve in doing so. Instinct will tell them to crave control, but statistics suggest otherwise.

Of the 19 Premier League games this season in which Forest have had 40 per cent possession or less, they have won 13, drawn four and lost two – 75 per cent of available points. Across the 18 they have had more than 40 per cent of the ball, they have lost eight, drawn four and won six – 41 per cent of possible points. Of those six wins, five came against the current bottom nine sides.

Post-match, Nuno pointed to another key metric in deciding games – scoring first. In the 23 league games Forest have scored first, they have won 17, drawn five and lost just one. In the 14 they have either scored second or not at all, they have lost nine and won just two.

And so the framework and plan through which Forest can summit the mountaintop is clear and established. The only issue now is executing it.

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