Nottingham Forest can still reach the Champions League group stage next season and will be hoping results go their way this weekend in the Premier League to help achieve it
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Nuno Espirito Santo
Nuno Espirito Santo has been fantastic as Nottingham Forest boss this season
Nottingham Forest have easily established themselves as the overachieving side in the Premier League and for a very good reason. Going into the season, many bookies priced Forest as more likely to be in a relegation battle - again - than to find themselves in a position in Europe.
Yet, that is exactly where Forest find themselves and for some corners of the fan base they might even find themselves frustrated if they do not find themselves in UEFA's top-tier club competition given how well they have done this season. Nuno Espirito Santo's side have spent more than half the season in the top five - where Champions League qualification is guaranteed - in the Premier League this season but have since dropped out picking up just one win in their last six appearances.
Forest are still within a chance of getting a place in the Champions League - even though they are guaranteed a place in Europe though which competition is yet to be confirmed - sitting just one point below Chelsea who are in fifth with Villa on the same 63-points tally above the Reds too.
Going into the penultimate weekend, Forest fans will be eagerly looking at Friday night's selection of Premier League matches with Europa League finalists Man United and Tottenham Hotspur both looking to make the most of the extra day's preparation for Bilbao but for Forest it will mean so much more if both sides get a respective result in this one.
The stakes
Aston Villa vs Tottenham: Draw/Tottenham - 2/1
Chelsea vs Man United: Draw/Man United - 9/5
West Ham vs Nott'm Forest: Forest win - 31/20
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Aston Villa vs Tottenham: Draw/Tottenham - 2/1
Starting off, Forest need both Villa and Chelsea to drop points at the very least and that will mean Spurs need to turn up the gears against Aston Villa who will be looking to make the most of the situation. Spurs have lost 20 times in the Premier League already this season and Ange Postecoglou will no doubt be prioritising the final in Bilbao which makes this a tough task for Forest fans.
Spurs have won just once in their last 10 league outings despite finding themselves in a position to be in the Champions League group stages next season if they win in Bilbao. Even if a draw is hopeful, they still have only picked up two draws in the same time too - making this a difficult task at hand.
Chelsea vs Man United: Draw/Man United - 9/5
Equally, Forest fans need the result at Stamford Bridge to go their way as Manchester United face Chelsea - who could really put themselves in the driving seat to return to the Champions League stage for the first time in three years. The Blues will be looking to make the most of the situation and put pressure on the likes of Man City and Arsenal above them going into the last day of the season.
West Ham vs Nott'm Forest: Forest win - 31/20
Of course, none of the aforementioned outcomes matter unless Forest do the business at the London Stadium against another incredibly underwhelming side, West Ham. Despite sacking Julen Lopetegui, new boss Graham Potter has not exactly set the world alight in east London since his arrival as they sit just three spots above the relegation zone.
However, they did end a winless run of eight matches last weekend against Man United but face a far more formiddable opponent in Nottingham Forest who are fighting for something in the league this season.
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