BY OUR MAN AT THE LONDON STADIUM
MORGAN GIBBS-WHITE proved he is the king of the East Midlands as he coolly slotted home an 89th-minute penalty to leave West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo staring at the exit door.
On a night of pure Premier League theatre, the Forest talisman stepped up when it mattered most to complete a sensational turnaround and leave the Hammers’ season in tatters.
The 2-1 victory moves Sean Dyche’s Forest seven points clear of the drop zone, while West Ham are now winless in ten and sinking fast.
The evening started like a dream for the home side. In the 13th minute, Crysencio Summerville—the one bright spark in a dismal Hammers campaign—whipped in a corner that caused utter chaos. Midfield engine Tomas Soucek rose highest, but it was Forest’s Brazilian defender Murillo who got the final, fatal touch, diverting the ball into his own net.
West Ham’s new big-money striker Taty Castellanos had the chance to double the lead on his debut, but the Argentine looked like a man with lead in his boots as he failed to connect with a teasing cross.
The game turned on its head in a breathless four-minute second-half spell. Summerville thought he’d doubled the lead with a world-class volley, but the joy was short-lived. VAR intervened, ruling that Castellanos was marginally offside in the build-up.
Stunned by the reprieve, Forest went straight down the other end.
Elliot Anderson, growing into a superstar in his own right, floated a corner to the far post where Nicolás Domínguez arrived like a steam train to loop a header over a stranded Alphonse Areola.
As the clock ticked toward 90, the London Stadium turned toxic. Chants against the board rang out, and the tension clearly got to Areola.
The French keeper, usually so reliable, came for a cross but only succeeded in clattering into Gibbs-White.
Referee Tony Harrington pointed to the spot after a quick look at the monitor, and the Forest captain didn’t blink.
Gibbs-White sent Areola the wrong way to spark wild celebrations in the away end and leave Nuno facing the sack from the club that once adored him.
”We showed the spirit of lions tonight,” said a beaming Sean Dyche.
“Morgan is our leader, and when the pressure is on, he never misses.”
For West Ham, the bubble hasn’t just burst—it’s been incinerated.
