Borussia Dortmund has secured a UEFA Champions League spot following an impressive comeback from a dismal 11th place two months prior. Meanwhile, in England and Spain, the race for the final Champions League spots is tense, with Nottingham Forest notably bouncing back from a poor run of form to beat West Ham United. This victory puts them back in contention for a top-five finish. Manager Nuno EspÃrito Santo praised the team's ability to manage games effectively after regaining their winning template. The upcoming matches in the Premier League remain crucial for Forest's Champions League aspirations.
Watching Nottingham Forest slip from third to seventh in the table in the space of a month has been tough. After last weekend's drab draw with relegated Leicester City, captain Morgan Gibbs-White faced the cameras and warned that his team were at risk of wasting "the best situation possible." Perhaps it was fitting, then, that it was he who scored the opener in a bounce-back victory over West Ham United that keeps the Tricky Trees right in contention for a top-five spot.
Pleasingly for manager Nuno EspÃrito Santo, it felt like a trademark 2024-25 win. No team has scored the first goal in a game more times than Forest (25), and they've typically been able to manage the game and protect leads expertly.
Manchester City's game in hand against AFC Bournemouth makes permutations for the final day murky, but there is at least one clear path back to fifth: Beat strikerless Chelsea at home and hope Aston Villa drop points.
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