Nottingham Forest fought back from a goal down and scored a dramatic late penalty to claim a vital victory over fellow strugglers West Ham United.
Hammers goalkeeper Alphonse Areola conceded the spot-kick when he failed to get to a cross and his fist instead collided with Morgan Gibbs-White’s face, with the decision awarded after an intervention from the video assistant referee (VAR).
Gibbs-White then calmly converted the penalty to secure Forest’s first win in five matches, while the Hammers’ winless run stretches to 10 games.
The hosts, without a victory since 8 November, took a 13th-minute lead when Crysencio Summerville’s excellent left-wing corner was flicked on by Tomas Soucek and Forest defender Murillo headed into his own net from close range.
After Callum Hudson-Odoi hit the crossbar for the visitors, West Ham thought they had doubled the lead through Summerville’s strike only for it to be ruled out as new signing Valentin ‘Taty’ Castellanos was judged offside earlier in the move.
That proved costly as Forest equalised minutes later.
The goal was very similar to West Ham’s as Elliot Anderson’s inswinging corner from the left was converted by Nicolas Dominguez’s looping header, before the late penalty drama.
The result leaves West Ham 18th, seven points behind Nottingham in 17th.
