Forest take Champions League fight to final day after win over sorry Hammers

The London Stadium (Picture: Charlie Stong)

West Ham United 1 (Bowen 86)

Nottingham Forest 2 (Gibbs-White 11, Milenkovic 61)

Sorry West Ham suffered their ninth home Premier League defeat this season as Nottingham Forest kept their Champions League dreams alive with a 2-1 win at the London Stadium.

Goals from Morgan Gibbs-White, following a howler from Alphonse Areola - and a second from Nikola Milenkovic midway through the second half, condemned the Hammers to yet another loss.

Jarrod Bowen pulled back a late consolation with a fantastic volley - but that was all it was.

West Ham remain in 15th, but Forest have taken their superb Champions League fight to the final day - although they will need to beat Chelsea next Sunday and hope results go their way elsewhere for that to be achieved.

The visiting Forest fans came with their beach balls, as is becoming more common at this stage of the season, but their team are far from on holiday just yet.

In contrast, West Ham have little to play for - before this game the best they could hope for after 38 games was 13th, worst 17th - and the empty claret, blue and wite seats in the home sections of this vast stadium reflected their fans' apathy at their plight.

The Hammers did have the first chance of the game, Vladimir Coufal, playing his final home game for West Ham, curling a beautiful cross in from the right which was met by the head of Tomas Soucek, and brilliantly tipped over by a diving Matz Sels.

But Forest soon settled and could have taken the lead themselves soon after, Ola Aina's throw from the right finding its way to Gibbs-White at the back post, who powered a shot away which was well stopped by Areola.

Areola was called upon again shortly afterwards. pushing away a fierce drive from Chris Wood from just outside the penalty area.

And Forest deservedly took the lead after 11 minutes, thanks to an almighty clanger at the back. Attempting to play the ball out to Guido Rodriguez, Areola succeeded only in passing it straight into the path of Gibbs-White, who controlled and calmly slotted home under absolutely no pressure.

West Ham slowly began to get a slight foothold in the game, Mohammed Kudus heading over from six yards before Coufal volleyed over from the edge of the box 10 minutes into the second half.

But Forest had more to play for, more bite. Milenkovic converted Anthony Elanga's wicked free-kick from the left off his back and past Areola after 61 minutes - the goal finally awarded after an astonishing six-minute VAR check - one of many stoppages in what was a game that could scarcely flow.

Jarrod Bowen pulled a spectacular goal back with five minutes left, controlling Morato's headed clearance and smashing home a volley past Sels.

But a goal from a player who is much better than 15th in the Premier League was all the Hammers could muster, even with 11 minutes of added time.

West Ham will be desperate to grab those beach balls and head off on to the continent. Forest will be playing much of their football there next year - but in what competition remains to be seen.

Teams:

West Ham: Areola, Cresswell (Alvarez 59), Coufal, Ward-Prowse (Soler 59), Kudus (Guilherme 79), Bowen, Rodriguez (Paqueta 59), Todibo, Kilman, Soucek (Fulkrug 59), Wan-Bissaka

Nottingham Forest: Sels, Murillo, Sangare (Morato 83), Williams, Anderson (Hudson-Odoi 83), Gibbs-White (Danilo 83), Wood, Dominguez (Yates 90+5), Elanga (Silva 90+5), Milenkovic, Aina

Referee: Sam Barrott