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Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espírito Santo insists his side remains firmly in control of their Champions League destiny, despite suffering consecutive Premier League defeats.
Losses to Aston Villa and Everton in recent weeks have seen Forest slip down the table, with Newcastle United overtaking them for third place. With just six matches left to play, Forest now trail second-placed Arsenal by four points and face a tight race to secure a top-five finish, which would guarantee Champions League football next season.
The battle for European qualification is intensifying, with Newcastle, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Chelsea all in strong contention. Only five points separate Newcastle, on 59, from seventh-placed Villa, leaving little room for error.
Forest could find themselves sixth by the time they travel to face Tottenham on Monday night, depending on other weekend results. Despite this, Nuno remained calm and optimistic when speaking to the press on Thursday.
“Nothing has changed since last week — it’s in our hands,” said the Portuguese coach. “We cannot control other teams or their results. What we can control is our performance, our reaction, and our improvement.”
He continued: “The expectations started the moment we began to perform and pick up results. Now, we embrace the challenge. We’re not backing away — we’re stepping forward. We want to take this opportunity and give it our all.”
Forest, two-time winners of the European Cup under legendary manager Brian Clough, have not featured in Europe’s top competition since the 1980/81 season. Their return to the elite stage would mark a historic achievement for the club.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are closing in on a record-equalling 20th English league title, further heightening the stakes as the season enters its final stretch.
