Sean Dyche Burnley
Nottingham Forest ended their four-match losing streak with a dramatic comeback victory against West Ham United in the capital. The win not only provided a much-needed morale boost but also moved the Reds seven points clear of the relegation zone. Despite the victory, manager Sean Dyche stressed that the battle for Premier League survival is far from over.
Sean Dyche said: “There is still work to be done. My job is to go through that noise and see the facts of it. It was by no means a classic, but you have got to find a way of winning. These are awkward games. I have been through a lot of these awkward games. I’m pleased with the mentality of the players. It was an awkward game for both sides and there was a lot of noise around the game. To go 1-0 down and stay calm and deliver a second half that can win the game is very pleasing.”
Dyche added: “Second half, we started changing the field a bit more. Sometimes you need the rub of the green, and it went our way for a couple of big decisions. You can feel the nerves in the stadium. They’re important games, we showed the mentality of finding a way of winning. I’ll take that. You have got to find a way and we found a way tonight. You still have to find a way. The game is rarely the perfect game for you. There has been a shift in mentality, and I am pleased with that.”
The match saw West Ham take an early lead through a Murillo own goal, putting Forest on the back foot. However, Forest’s resilience shone through as Nicolas Dominguez equalized, followed by a decisive penalty from Morgan Gibbs-White after a foul by West Ham’s goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. The penalty was awarded after a VAR review, which also saw a West Ham goal disallowed for offside just before Forest’s equalizer.
Dyche said (via the BBC): “We have been on the wrong side of that [VAR decisions], of course, things going against us with VAR. But both decisions were right, I am told.”
The victory provides a crucial buffer for Forest in their quest to remain in the Premier League, but as Dyche pointed out, the team must continue to fight and maintain their newfound mentality in the upcoming fixtures.
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