Nuno Espirito Santo Emphasises Nottingham Forest's Champions League Hopes Are Still In Their Hands

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Nottingham Forest's manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, remains optimistic about his team's Champions League prospects despite recent setbacks. Forest suffered a second consecutive Premier League loss with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Everton. Abdoulaye Doucoure scored the decisive goal in the 94th minute at City Ground. With Manchester City and Aston Villa securing wins, and Chelsea and Newcastle United playing on Sunday, Forest feels the pressure as they aim for a top-five finish to qualify for the Champions League.

Nuno expressed his disappointment after the match, stating to BBC Sport, "Very tough and very disappointing. The game was not the best and we were not comfortable." He acknowledged that Forest struggled throughout most of the game, only finding some rhythm early in the second half. Despite Everton's dominance, Nuno emphasized the importance of maintaining solidity and compactness even when not winning. "Today, we were punished by our own mistakes," he added.

Looking ahead, Nuno stressed the need for thorough preparation as Forest faces Tottenham on April 21. He believes that their Champions League fate remains within their control if they can improve their performance. "It is important to have a good week of preparation for the Tottenham game," he noted. According to Opta's supercomputer, Forest still has a 73.8% chance of securing a Champions League spot.

Everton celebrated their first victory since February under David Moyes' management. Since Moyes took over from Sean Dyche in January, Everton has only lost twice in league matches. The team has been resilient against higher-ranked opponents, losing just one out of eight such encounters recently (W4 D3). This marks a significant improvement from their previous three losses against similar teams.

Doucoure's late goal set a new record for Everton's latest away win in Premier League history since 2006-07. After scoring, Doucoure celebrated by miming signing a contract with travelling fans. Despite reports that Everton hasn't extended his contract option, Doucoure expressed his desire to remain at the club.

"I can't talk too much about that but it is maybe my last moments at the club and at the moment it is very quiet on the club side," Doucoure told BBC Sport. "I love this club." His future remains uncertain as his contract nears its end, but he hopes to stay with Everton.

As Nottingham Forest prepares for their next match against Tottenham, they remain focused on reclaiming form and securing their place in European competition next season. Meanwhile, Everton aims to build on their recent success under Moyes' guidance as they continue their Premier League campaign.