Forest honour hospitalised Awoniyi as West Ham victory takes Champions League dream to final day

Nottingham Forest secured a 2-1 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday, remaining in the Champions League hunt heading into the final day of this season's Premier League. 

A week after the Tricky Trees’ disappointing 2-2 draw with Leicester City, Nuno Espirito Santo needed a strong performance if his side were to secure maximum points. 

Graham Potter required a strong showing to follow the previous round’s triumph at Manchester United, but his Hammers team underperformed in their final home match of the season, a match they had not lost in front of their supporters since the 2016-17 season.

The visitors named an unchanged lineup from the Leicester draw, although Nuno’s men were without Taiwo Awoniyi after the forward underwent surgery for an abdominal injury suffered against the Foxes. 

Like his opposing number, Potter utilised the same side that defeated Manchester United 2-0 at Old Trafford, but the Englishman’s plans swiftly went awry. 

After an end-to-end start, it was Forest that took the lead when Morgan Gibbs-White capitalised on an Alphonse Areola mistake to put the Nottinghamshire-based club ahead 1-0 in the 11th minute. 

The Englishman and his teammates paid tribute to the hospitalised Awoniyi during their celebration of the game’s opening goal — an undeniable touch of class. 

While Hammers fans would have wanted a more robust showing after falling behind, it was Forest that came close to doubling their advantage through Chris Wood, who struck the woodwork in the 24th minute and was denied by Areola moments before halftime.

West Ham’s start to the second half was underwhelming as both teams struggled to find any real rhythm. 

As the game appeared to be entering a humdrum final half-hour, the away side finally scored a second through Nikola Milenkovic, who headed the ball home from Anthony Elanga's free-kick in the 61st minute. 

A lengthy VAR check delayed the celebrations, but Forest were able to celebrate twice after the defender was deemed to be onside following video replays. 

When it seemed like Forest’s substitutions had stymied West Ham’s attempts to set up a thrilling finish, Jarrod Bowen brilliantly halved the deficit with four minutes remaining in regulation. 

Nevertheless, the Tricky Trees survived the final four minutes and 11 minutes of stoppage time to secure a hugely important victory. 

Although they stayed seventh after the win, earning maximum points brought Nuno's team to 65 points as before next week’s final game against Chelsea (66 points). 

The upcoming week will be pivotal for Nuno's men as they hope for a favour from Bournemouth, who face Manchester City (also at 65 points) in the beaten FA Cup finalists' outstanding game before next Sunday's critical conclusion.