Nottingham Forest Claims a Pivotal Win at London Stadium
The atmosphere at the London Stadium was thick with emotion as West Ham took the pitch for their final home game of the season, hoping to close out their Premier League campaign on a high. Instead, a determined Nottingham Forest side dashed those plans, grabbing a 2-1 victory that keeps their Champions League hopes very much alive—a sentence that would have shocked fans just a year ago.
From the opening whistle, both teams played with intensity. West Ham showed flashes of the form that brought them European silverware, but Forest’s urgency was clear. Early on, Tomáš Souček came close, his header forcing goalkeeper Matz Sels into a sharp save. But it was Forest who struck first. Morgan Gibbs-White, Forest’s skipper and creative livewire, found space inside the box and powered home an 11th-minute goal. The away section erupted. West Ham’s defenders looked briefly rattled, but the action didn’t slow down for a second.
Before the match, the mood was bittersweet. Longtime Hammers such as Aaron Cresswell, Vladimír Coufal, Łukasz Fabiański, and Danny Ings received heartfelt tributes, likely appearing at the London Stadium for the final time. Emotional fans stood as the departing stars took in the moment, underlining just how quickly football’s winds can change. Meanwhile, Aaron Wan-Bissaka—a model of consistency all year—was named Hammer of the Year before a packed crowd.
Forest's Strong Second Half and West Ham's Farewell
When the second half started, the tension ramped up. After an end-to-end spell, Forest doubled their lead on 61 minutes. Centre-back Nikola Milenković surged forward during a corner and drilled his shot past Fabiański, seizing on a loose ball to dampen West Ham’s mood further and ignite Forest fans' dreams of a return to elite European football.
West Ham, to their credit, didn’t cave. The ever-reliable Jarrod Bowen brought them back into the contest just five minutes later, latching onto a clever through ball to slot home his 12th goal of the campaign. Bowen’s celebration was fired with determination—but Forest simply refused to buckle.
As the match clock ticked down, David Moyes rolled the dice with attacking substitutions. The London crowd, sensing another late twist, roared on the Hammers. But Forest stayed resolute. Their midfield, marshaled by Dominik Domínguez and Ibrahim Sangaré, choked off West Ham’s supply lines, while Forest’s back four—anchored by Milenković and the energetic Murillo—kept things tight when it mattered.
The referee, Samuel Barrott, was briefly the focus as VAR checked a late penalty claim, but nothing was given. Forest ran down the clock and at full time, the away bench rejoiced—this win means they still have everything to play for in the hunt for a Champions League spot. Forest bossed the key moments and aside from a late surge from the Hammers, fully deserved their victory. For West Ham, it was a farewell with mixed feelings—pride from recent European glory, but frustration as their league form faltered at home one last time.
Looking across the stadium at the end, fans of both sides were left to reflect on a season of highs and lows. Forest are suddenly in touching distance of Europe’s most elite competition. For West Ham, the goodbyes to club legends stung, but there’s always hope for another chapter.