Relegation to Champions League football - Can Nottingham Forest hang on to the top 4?

Forest currently sits 3rd place in the Premier League table with 51 points, with only a 4 point gap between them and Man City, who, as it stands, are currently set to play Europa League football next season.

Nottingham Forest will be looking to extend the gap with a game against Ipswich on Saturday, where they could potentially go 7 points clear of the Europa League spot and be one step closer to Champions League qualification for the first time in over 40 years.

The journey of their success

Nottingham Forest has found itself in 3rd place in the Premier League, with hopes to clinch European Football, but how did they get here? Forests started the season only picking up 6 points out of a possible 15 in their first 5 games. Still, their 1-0 win against Liverpool went against football betting odds and showed the quality that Nuno Espirito Santos’s side had to offer.

After carrying on an okay run of form, Forest saw themselves with 22 points at the start of December after picking up points against Premier League giants Liverpool and Chelsea.  This is where Forest's season changed for the better after winning 5 games in a row, Nottingham Forest looked unstoppable. This run of form has stayed with them for the remainder of this season and looks like it will secure them European football.

What's behind Nottingham Forest's Success

Since the arrival of Nuno Espirito Santos, Nottingham Forest’s tactics have been heavily influenced by counter-attacking football, and allowing their opposition to possess the ball. By doing this, it allows Nottingham Forest to catch their opponents out with an intense transition.

Even though Nottingham Forest have a counter-attacking style, it must not take away the quality of the squad, and their ability to create moments of magic through intricate passing and outstanding communication. Once the whistle goes it's as if the Reds turn into a wall, only conceding 33 goals so far this season with only Arsenal and Liverpool conceding less. This is down to their outstanding organisation and communication throughout the whole team.

Can they be stopped?

Nottingham Forest are only 10 games away from the end of the season and are on track to secure European football, but with only 7 points separating 3rd and 9th place anything could happen.

The next 9 games for Forest seem to be relatively easy, only facing 2 of the ‘big 6’, this being Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United who are sitting in 13th and 14th and have already been beaten by the reds once this season. Depending on the next 9 games, all of the pressure could be put onto Forest's last game of the season, which is against 4th place Chelsea who are also fighting for Champions League football next season.

The next 10 games for the Reds are crucial as they will not only show the quality of their team but also their maturity and ability to not crumble under pressure. With the form Nottingham Forest are in this season and the consistency they have shown.  Champions League football looks inevitable for the reds.