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Nottingham Forest continue to battle with West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur to avoid the third Premier League relegation spot

Nottingham Forest’s relegation rivals Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a huge injury blow heading into the final games of the season.

The Reds made it eight matches unbeaten in all competitions on Friday night with a 5-0 thumping of Sunderland. Three points in the north east moved them eight points clear of 18th-placed Spurs, at least for a few hours.

It remains incredibly tight at the bottom end of the Premier League table with four games to go, however, and the gap between Forest and the bottom three was soon brought back to five points. Tottenham claimed their first league win of the calendar year on Saturday when they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0.

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West Ham United also triumphed at the weekend, claiming a 2-1 victory over Everton. The Hammers remain 17th, three points below the Reds and two ahead of Spurs.

Spurs’ triumph came at a cost, though. Playmaker Xavi Simons has been ruled out of the rest of the campaign after sustaining a knee injury during the win over Wolves.

The 23-year-old went down clutching his right knee in the 58th minute of the game, following a collision with Wolves defender Hugo Bueno. He initially attempted to run off the injury but collapsed in front of the club’s medical staff and subsequently left Molineux on a stretcher.

Xavi has since posted on Instagram. He wrote: “They say life can be cruel and today it feels that way. My season has come to an abrupt end and I’m just trying to process it. Honestly, I’m heartbroken. None of it makes sense.

“All I’ve wanted to do is fight for my team and now the ability to do that has been snatched away from me… along with the World Cup. Representing my country this summer… just gone.

“It’ll take time to find peace with this, but I’ll continue to be the best teammate I can be. I have no doubt that together we’ll win this fight.

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“I’ll walk this path now, guided by faith, with strength, with resilience, with belief, as I count down the days to getting back out there. Be patient with me.”

Spurs have already lost Cristian Romero and Mohammed Kudus to season-ending injuries. They are next in action away to Aston Villa on Sunday.

Forest have games against Chelsea, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Bournemouth to come in their battle for survival. Head coach Vitor Pereira continues to juggle the need for points with the quest for Europa League glory as his team prepare to face Villa in a two-legged semi-final.

The Reds have injury concerns of their own to deal with. Callum Hudson-Odoi has been ruled out of the run-in while Murillo is expected to miss Thursday’s first leg against Villa and there is concern over fellow centre-back Jair Cunha after he was forced off at the Stadium of Light.

Roberto De Zerbi has been discussing the relegation battle after his side claimed their first win in the Premier League in 2026, beating Wolves 1-0 with a late goal

Focusing on the results of Nottingham Forest and West Ham will make life “too tough” for Tottenham, their manager Roberto De Zerbi said as the Premier League relegation battle heated up on Saturday.

Vitor Pereira's side put some daylight between themselves and the drop zone with a terrific 5-0 thumping of Sunderland on Friday night, and it proved to be an important result.

As on Saturday, both West Ham and Spurs scored late goals to bring the Reds’ cushion back down to five points.

West Ham’s result was the more dramatic of the two, as they conceded an 88th-minute equaliser at home to Everton, only for Callum Wilson to grab the Hammers an added-time winner.

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Spurs ended their 15-game winless run in the Premier League as Joao Palhinha prodded in an 82nd-minute goal to beat already-relegated Wolves 1-0.

With West Ham victorious, it means Tottenham remain in the bottom three, but De Zerbi knows that thinking about the results of the other sides in the relegation battle will only put too much pressure on his players.

“I hope this result can change something in our head,” De Zerbi said. “For the other results, it's already very tough to win a game for us. If we put our heads in the other teams it will be too tough for me.

“The players know what they can do on the pitch, especially this season. We didn't win a game in 2026 but in the Champions League, they finished fourth.

“They have to be positive and they have to feel full of confidence because they are good and (should not look at) the other results.”

West Ham in 17th are three points behind Forest, but their focus is purely on keeping ahead of Spurs. Match-winner Wilson said: “We're the ones in the driving seat at the moment and if we take care of our own results, it should stand us in good stead come the end of the season.

“The lads are buzzing. You do ultimately look at other results, we knew they (Tottenham) were playing a game in which they were the favourites, so we had to do our job.”

Nottingham Forest are scrapping for Premier League survival and have six games remaining to get over the line

The battle for Premier League survival is threatening to go right to the wire, but Nottingham Forest are being tipped to get over the line.

The Reds claimed a valuable point at the weekend with their 1-1 draw against Aston Villa at the City Ground. Head coach Vitor Pereira is still searching for his first home win in charge but was pleased with the fight shown by his team on Sunday.

After a Murillo own goal broke the deadlock for the visitors, Forest responded through Neco Williams. The stalemate moved them up to 33 points, three points clear of the drop zone with six games remaining.

Leeds United’s win over Manchester United on Monday night saw them pull six points clear of the bottom three. West Ham United are just one point behind the Reds while Tottenham Hotspur currently occupy the third relegation spot with 30 points.

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According to stats experts Opta, Forest’s chances of dropping into the Championship now stand at 10.11%. That has improved from about a month ago, when the Reds’ chances of relegation were put at 34.05%.

With that in mind, Pereira’s men are predicted to finish 16th, with a predicted final points tally of 40.85. That suggests they are being tipped to pick up seven points from their remaining six games.

The Hammers are also tipped to stay up as their chances of going down are put at 38.78%. They are predicted to finish 17th with 38.34 points.

Opta predict it will be Spurs who join bottom two Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley in falling into the second tier. The north London outfit’s chances of relegation are put at 49.50% and they are predicted to finish with 37.11 points.

Predicted final table with predicted final points tally

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The run-in

Forest’s final six league games

Burnley (H)

Sunderland (A)

Chelsea (A)

Newcastle United (H)

Manchester United (A)

Bournemouth (H)

Leeds’ final six league games

Wolverhampton Wanderers (H)

Bournemouth (A)

Burnley (H)

Tottenham Hotspur (A)

Brighton and Hove Albion (H)

West Ham United (A)

West Ham’s final six league games

Crystal Palace (A)

Everton (H)

Brentford (A)

Arsenal (H)

Newcastle United (A)

Leeds United (H)

Spurs’ final six league games

Brighton and Hove Albion (H)

Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)

Aston Villa (A)

Leeds United (H)

Chelsea (A)

Everton (H)

Forest are battling with Tottenham, West Ham and Leeds United to stay in the Premier League

Sean Dyche has predicted relegation-threatened Tottenham will rally under new boss Robert De Zerbi, insisting their dire form has "bottomed out".

Spurs are winless in their last 13 Premier League fixtures and sit 17th in the table, just a point above the bottom three with seven games remaining.

Dyche was one of the names linked with replacing Igor Tudor after the Croatian's short, calamitous reign but told talkSPORT he never held talks with the club.

Instead they appointed former Brighton man De Zerbi and Dyche expects to see a badly needed upturn in form.

"Tottenham have bottomed out, I'm sure, which means they can only get better," he told the radio station.

"I'd be amazed if they don't have a bounce. But I don't think you can call it (the relegation battle). I have no clue who's staying up."

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Former Burnley and Everton boss Dyche, who was sacked after 18 games in charge of Spurs' fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest earlier this year, had been touted as a short-term fire-fighting option for the London club.

And, while he suggested the idea did not appeal to him, he offered some advice to De Zerbi about what would be needed to stay in the top flight.

"For me it would be: strong, fit and organised. That keeps you up, not just relying on talent," he said.

"What's the framework of the side? What's the energy, what's the output? What's the hard yards and how much of those are you putting in?

"You are going to find it very hard to stay in the Premier League if you don't get the framework and the basics right."

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Reflecting on the concerns he would have harboured had Tottenham approached him, Dyche added: "I wouldn't go in there looking for money.

"They could offer me a massive amount of money, I'm sure they're capable of it, and allegedly they've offered De Zerbi a massive amount of money. It would have been about what are you going to help me gain as a human being. What would I gain?

"Let's say you go in there and get the job done, then next season if you're not in the top four and the football's not what they want, then you're rubbish and they want you out. If you don't get the job done, then somehow it's on my neck that I took Tottenham down."

Morgan Gibbs-White knows what Nottingham Forest cannot shy away from in Tottenham battle

The Nottingham Forest captain has discussed the Premier League relegation battle and the Europa League quarter-final against Porto during an open training session at the City Ground

Nottingham Forest should not shy away from the reality of the Premier League table, Morgan Gibbs-White has said, as a potentially dramatic run-in gets set to begin.

Forest beat Tottenham 3-0 in the capital in a hugely-important victory before the international break, the win moving them three points clear of the relegation zone.

And while there’s often a temptation to avoid too much focus on the details of the standings, Gibbs-White says it’s something he and his team-mates have to keep at the front of their minds.

“The situation we’re in, it’s been a difficult season, the bottom of the table is very tight still,” the Forest midfielder told Sky Sports. “We can’t shy away from that. We’ve got to still look at that.

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“(The win over Spurs) has brought a positive vibe around the group. We’ve had a massive break so we’re recovered and ready to go again.”

That victory over Spurs, combined with Europa League progression, has gone some way to restoring the good mood at the City Ground, so much so that 7,000 supporters turned out for an open training session on Saturday.

While Forest are gearing up for the Premier League run-in, they’ve got a Europa League quarter-final against Porto coming up first.

On the turnout at the City Ground, Gibbs-White said: “It’s incredible. We know what the fans are like, they’ve been with us through thick and thin. We knew it was going to be a good turnout because of how positive and how good they’ve been with us.

“We all know how difficult this season has been and they’ve stuck with us through it. It was nice to be able to put on a training session for them. I think it’s something we should have done a long time ago. It was nice to see happy faces again.

Ahead of the trip to Portugal, he added: “It’s going to be incredible. It’s a quarter-final, it’s a big game. They’re in good form but we’re really looking forward to it.

“It’s exciting. It’s something this club deserves. It’s a massive club in English history. It’s a special feeling and we’ve worked so hard to get there. We’re going into it with full concentration and positivity that we can succeed in the competition.”

Wolves and Burnley look set to be relegated and Nottingham Forest are fighting not to join them in the Championship

Nottingham Forest have seven games to save their Premier League status and win a relegation battle that appears to have four clubs vying to avoid one place.

Wolves and Burnley aren’t yet mathematically condemned to demotion to the Championship but it is surely a case of when, not if they go down.

Meanwhile Forest, Leeds, Tottenham and West Ham, separated by just four points, are fighting not to join them.

Here’s the remaining fixtures each side must play, with Spurs readying to play for the first time under new manager Roberto De Zerbi.

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Man Utd (a)

Wolves (h)

Bournemouth (a)

Burnley (h)

Tottenham (a)

Brighton (h)

West Ham (a)

Aston Villa (h)

Burnley (h)

Sunderland (a)

Chelsea (a)

Newcastle (h)

Man Utd (a)

Bournemouth (h)

Sunderland (a)

Brighton (h)

Wolves (a)

Villa (a)

Leeds (h)

Chelsea (a)

Everton (h)

Wolves (h)

Crystal Palace (a)

Everton (h)

Brentford (a)

Arsenal (h)

Newcastle (a)

Leeds (h)

Forest are battling with Tottenham, West Ham and Leeds United to stay in the Premier League

Tottenham look doomed to relegation and a new manager won’t change anything, says Spurs legend Chris Waddle.

Nottingham Forest are battling with Tottenham and West Ham to stay in the Premier League and Vitor Pereira’s side claimed a priceless 3-0 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before the international break.

The Reds are two points above Tottenham in 16th place in the table, with Spurs in 17th place and West Ham three points behind Forest in 18th place.

Speaking in the wake of Igor Tudor’s departure from Tottenham at the end of last week and before Roberto De Zerbi’s arrival as Spurs’ new boss, Waddle told 10bet: “Where do Tottenham go from here? It’s looking like the Championship. I’m really concerned and worried about what is happening at the football club.

“I cannot believe a club of that size are in the position that they’re in.

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“West Ham might be saying the same. Nottingham Forest might be saying the same. After the result against Forest, Tottenham Hotspur are basically the favourites for that third relegation spot.

“Hopefully three or four players will come back (after the international break), but are they good enough? Will it be enough?

“That’s the big question for Tottenham: Are the players good enough and do they have the bottle for a relegation fight? Can they roll up their sleeves? I’m not convinced that this group of players have got enough about them to stop the rot.

“Tottenham are miles off the pace. I thought they’ve turned a corner after improved performances against Atletico Madrid and Liverpool. Then they go back to zero with the Forest performance.

“No confidence on the ball. They didn't really cause Forest any problems. Tel had a decent first half, but that was it.

“Yes, they’ve had some bad luck with injuries, but Tottenham have been sliding for years now. The Europa League win papered over a few cracks – this group of players simply aren’t good enough to be challenging in the Premier League.

“The players need to take some responsibility, but the main culprits are the board and leadership of the club. They haven’t invested money in players; they’re always buying for the future, but Tottenham need better players for the now.

“The club is in a real mess. They’re miles away from being a top club in the Premier League.”

“I don’t think a new manager at Tottenham changes a thing,” he added. “The players aren’t good enough and that isn’t going to change if a new manager comes in.

“I’m looking at the squad, looking at individuals that don’t look like they’ve got the stomach or the ability to pull the club out of the hole it’s in.”

Sean Dyche was axed as Nottingham Forest head coach in February but could soon be back in work

Former Nottingham Forest head coach Sean Dyche could be an option for relegation rivals Tottenham Hotspur, should they decide to make a managerial change.

Dyche was axed by the Reds last month after 114 days in charge. But he could soon be back in work as Spurs weigh up whether to stick or twist with Igor Tudor.

Forest leapfrogged the north London club in the Premier League table with their 3-0 triumph in the capital before the international break. Two points now separate the teams, with Vitor Pereira’s side three points above the drop zone.

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Tudor is under pressure as a result of Spurs’ precarious position and dismal form. According to The Telegraph, a decision about the 47-year-old’s future is set to be made by Monday - although it is acknowledged the situation is a “delicate” one due to the recent death of his father.

Roberto De Zerbi is reportedly the club’s first-choice as a potential replacement for Tudor, but he is said to be reluctant to take up the job until the summer. If the Italian remains a no-go, Spurs “will consider” trying to bring in Dyche.

Dyche recently said he had received “top level” offers since his departure from the City Ground. Speaking on The Football Boardroom podcast, he said he did not understand why he had been dismissed by Forest.

“Well, I don’t, statistically and factually, no emotion to it, if you look at the stats and facts - even after the last game, against Wolves. Our current form at that time was ninth in the Premier League,” he said.

“The stats and facts were there, clear as day. From my record, from when we got there to when we ended, we’d have been 12th in the Premier League.

“So on factual data and analysis, I can’t understand any of the decisions that were made. But football is changing, and we witnessed it.”

Pereira replaced Dyche in the hot seat on the banks of the Trent, becoming the club’s fourth manager of the campaign. He has since steered the Reds to the quarter-finals of the Europa League and to 16th in the league table with seven games remaining.

Ange Postecoglou has been discussing his time at Nottingham Forest after he replaced Nuno Espirito Santo

Ange Postecoglou admits his ill-fated tenure as Nottingham Forest boss might have hurt his reputation in the Premier League and that he rejected advice not to take on the City Ground role.

The Australian lasted just 39 days as Reds head coach and failed to win any of the eight games for which he was in charge.

The axe finally swung after they had been beaten 3-0 by Chelsea, Postecoglou's second sacking in a matter of months after losing his job despite leading Tottenham Hotspur to the Europa League title.

“If I were younger, it probably would have (hurt), but it didn’t hurt me because in the end I take responsibility for it,” he told SEN Radio, via Fox Sports Australia.

“There were enough people around me saying it’s probably not a good idea. I thought it was a challenge. I didn’t like not working ... it almost looked like it wasn’t going to be a good fit for me right from the beginning.

“It didn’t work out. It’s probably hurt me reputationally, probably here in the EPL for sure, but I don’t worry about that. It didn’t leave any marks on me as a person or a football manager.

“If anything, it allowed me to know that next time, I will seek some counsel before I bite off more than I can chew.”

Indeed the one lesson he has learned is that his methods are probably best implemented in the close season, rather than on the hoof once the Premier League has started.

“Jumping in mid-season, especially in the Premier League but in most leagues, is just probably too much of a challenge for the way I do things,” he said.

“That’s what I’m holding out for. Where that is and what it looks like is hard to say at the moment, but I haven’t even scratched the surface of what I want to do over here yet and the impact I want to make, the football I want to play.

“You can’t always be flying high and successful. Sometimes you need to cop a couple of whacks. I still feel like what I do still has an impact at this level.

“I want to win things still. I know whatever it is going to be, I have this thing in my head that this will be the best one I’ve done yet because the recent experiences – maybe I needed them.”

Nottingham Forest defender Neco Williams discusses the Reds' season and the managerial changes at the City Ground

Full-back Neco Williams has addressed the challenges Nottingham Forest have faced during a far from “ideal” season.

Victory over relegation rivals Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday was a shot in the arm for the Reds’ survival hopes. They jumped above their opponents, into 16th place, in the Premier League table and moved three points clear of the relegation zone with seven games to go.

Success in the capital came after Forest had qualified for the quarter-finals of the Europa League by seeing off FC Midtjylland in the week. They will return to action after the international break with the first leg of their last-eight tie away to Porto on April 9.

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The demands of competing on two fronts have stretched Vitor Pereira’s squad. And with the Portuguese having been appointed as the club’s fourth head coach of the campaign in February, there has been a lot for the Reds to get used to.

"Every manager or coach has their different ways," Williams told the BBC. "I guess this is just part and parcel of football where the manager goes, you've got to be ready for the next one and you've got to take on his ideas and his style of work straight away.

"You know, to have four different managers with four different styles and ways of working - you've just got to adapt quickly and get used to it. There's no time to sulk. You've just got to get on and you've got to get on board with his ideas straight away.

"If you're talking from a team perspective, we're in a position where we don't want to be in. After last season we're in a position now that none of us wanted to be in.

“We're obviously balancing the Premier League, the Europa League and we obviously had the cups earlier in the season, so it was a lot more games, but that was the reward we got for what we did last season. It hasn't been ideal and we do want to be higher up.

“Last season we were playing one game a week. Now we are playing Wednesday, Saturday, Thursday, Sunday. So where last season you have a game, then you recover, you train and then build back up to play again, now you play, you recover and then you play again, so you don't have time in between to recover properly or work on tactics and analysis on the training ground. And then at the same time, you're playing obviously a hell of a lot more games than what we're used to."

For Williams, the international break means attention has now switched to trying to secure a place at this summer’s World Cup. Wales take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in a play-off semi-final on Thursday, then could face Italy or Northern Ireland in the final next week.

The defender will go into the crucial games for his country in good form. He has been one of the Reds’ most consistent players this term.

"I'd say it's probably been one of my best and consistent seasons I've had as a player,” Williams added. "I think I've missed one Premier League game from my own doing when I obviously got sent off (against Crystal Palace).

"I've always found it a bit difficult to get that consistency and I think as a professional you need that consistency, especially when you're playing in the Premier League. There's no point having a good game every four or five, so I've really worked hard on trying to find that consistency.

“I feel, especially this season and last season as well, I found that. I'm not having a really good game, then a really bad game, then a really good game."