Dramatic Late Penalty Shocks Hammers: Forest Snatch Vital 2-1 Win in Relegation Six-Pointer!

Nottingham Forest secured a crucial 2-1 victory over West Ham United at London Stadium in a thrilling Premier League relegation battle, extending their gap from the drop zone to seven points.[1][2][3]

West Ham took an early lead in the 13th minute through an unfortunate own goal by Forest defender Murillo, who headed a corner from Crysencio Summerville past his own goalkeeper Alphonse Areola after a flick-on by Tomáš Souček.[1][2][4]

Forest nearly equalized just before halftime when Callum Hudson-Odoi's curling shot struck the crossbar.[1][2] Early in the second half, West Ham thought they had doubled their lead when Summerville volleyed home after a blocked shot by Kyle Walker-Peters, but VAR disallowed it for a prior offside on Valentín Castellanos in the buildup.[2]

Three minutes later, Forest leveled the score at 1-1 as Nicolás Domínguez looped a header from Elliot Anderson's corner into the far post, exploiting poor defending from Jean-Clair Todibo.[1][2][4]

The decisive moment came in the 89th minute when Areola came out to punch away a free-kick but fouled Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White, earning a penalty confirmed by referee Tony Harrington after a VAR review. Gibbs-White calmly converted from 12 yards to seal the comeback win.[1][2][4][5]

Standings reflect the stakes: West Ham sit 19th with 14 points from 21 games (3-5-13), while Forest rise to 21 points from 21 games (6-3-12), now seven points clear of danger. A West Ham win would have left them just one point above Forest.[3][1]

Controversy swirled around the VAR calls, with West Ham aggrieved by the disallowed goal and the late penalty, but Forest's resilience shone through in this vital six-pointer.[2]

Looking ahead, Forest face Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup third round this Sunday before a Premier League trip to Tottenham Hotspur, managed by their former boss Nuno Espírito Santo.[1]