Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has insisted that his team remains in control of their Champions League qualification hopes despite consecutive Premier League defeat
Losses to Aston Villa and Everton have seen Forest drop to fourth place, overtaken by Newcastle, with just six games remaining. They now trail second-placed Arsenal by four points in a tightly contested race, with only five points separating Newcastle in third and Villa in seventh.
Newcastle, Manchester City, and Aston Villa are all gaining momentum in the battle for a top-five finish, which guarantees a spot in next season’s Champions League. Chelsea remains in contention as well.
Forest could slip to sixth place before their Monday clash with Tottenham, but Nuno remains optimistic.
“Nothing has changed — it’s still in our hands,” he said during Thursday’s pre-match press conference. “We can’t control other teams or results, but we can focus on ourselves. Now it’s about reacting and improving.”
Having held a top-four position since November, Nuno emphasized his squad’s determination to finish strong.
“We embrace the challenge,” he added. “We’re not stepping back. We’re stepping in, and we want to fight for it.”
Nottingham Forest last competed in Europe’s top competition in the 1980/81 season, when they were reigning champions under legendary manager Brian Clough.
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