Nottingham forest 4 Southampton 3

As has become custom, Steve Cooper arrived from the Nottingham Forest basement just before kickoff to a barrier of noise and another tense environment. Cooper sighed deeply before finding a seat in the home dugout, and a lengthy puff of the cheeks ensued. Perhaps he had foreseen the exhilarating journey that lay ahead.

This wasn't a good nighttime for blood pressure, but by game's end Forest, thanks to goals from Taiwo Awoniyi twice, Morgan Gibbs-White's penalty, and a late goal from Danilo, had secured a stunning victory over Southampton and a crucial three points, giving their Premier League survival campaign new life.

Forest has three games left to play and is afloat. Their season will be decided by how they perform against Arsenal at home, Chelsea and Crystal Palace on the road, and Crystal Palace on the very last day. Southampton may survive mathematically, but it will require a miracle to get there.

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Given the urgent need for points on both sides of the ball, it may not have come as something unexpected that the contest was played at a breakneck pace. Any optimism that Leicester's humiliating loss at Fulham could have given rise to swiftly vanished by the time Everton cruised to a shock victory at Brighton. Even in the best of occasions, there is something special concerning playing games here beneath the lights, and the dirty surroundings only made for an enjoyable, if occasionally hilarious, experience.

Brennan Johnson racing past Armel best exemplified the game's untamed essence. After ten minutes, Bella-Kotchap took over, leaving the Southampton central back stumbling like Scrappy-Doo and eventually on all fours. Johnson was successfully prevented from finding an unmarked Awoniyi by Jan Bednarek. Bella-Kotchap hurt himself while attempting to keep up as they moved down the tunnel with assistance from two Southampton medical personnel.

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During the break, Forest were booed off the pitch when Gibbs-White drove Alex McCarthy the wrong direction from the penalty spot, restoring their two-goal cushion. Ainsley Maitland-Niles struck the active Johnson's Achilles in the blink of an eye after touching the ball in the Southampton box. Gibbs-White didn't err in any way.

When Awoniyi stroked Johnson's precise centre into the net after 18 minutes, the game was off and running. Three minutes later, the attacker doubled his and Forest's tally. Serge Aurier outmuscled Carlos Alcaraz for the goal, while Southampton continually struggled to get rid of their lines. Danilo aided Awoniyi with the ball after Forest recycled it by deftly touching the ball with the outer part of his left foot. McCarthy was struck in the face by Awoniyi.

The match’s first legitimate chance came from Southampton, who started out stronger. Had Felipe never reacted swiftly to Ché Adams' shot by erecting the Forest walls with what amounted to a long barrier, the returning Ché Adams, who received an early sighter, could have thought he had a good opportunity of scoring on seven minutes. After revealing Southampton's weak middle, Forest appeared at ease, but the visitors responded on minute 25 when Alcaraz put the finishing touches on a quick breakaway. Inside his own half, James Ward-Prowse stole the ball from Gibbs-White and freed Adams.

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When Southampton suddenly had a three-to-two advantage, the diligent Adams quickly located Stuart Armstrong to his left. Armstrong selflessly sent the ball to Alcaraz in the six-yard box so that he could handle it and shoot the ball into Keylor Navas's goal. Rocking on the sidelines, Rubén Sellés attempted to motivate his troops. Theo Walcott, one of three substitutions from Southampton's thrashing at Newcastle, came close to tying the score, but Maitland-Niles gave Forest a penalty after struggling to handle Johnson. Standing there, Southampton always looked to be in for an exhausting night.

drowned and dead? It wasn't in the plan for Southampton to score five minutes after the break. Bednarek and Lyanco, who took the place of Bella-Kotchap, appeared to need convincing to go up for a corner early in the second half. Lyanco dodged Felipe to head in Ward-Prowse's inswinger that landed on the Forest's six-yard box. A few minutes later, another dangerous delivery from Ward-Prowse and a free-kick produced additional issues. Lyanco compelled Navas to make a save.

Forest were now the ones feeling the heat. In place of Walcott, Kamaldeen Sulemana sped past Renan Lodi before firing a shot that deflected into the backside of the goal. Following a Ward-Prowse corner, Lyanco once more won the opening header, but Navas punched the ball clear before a waiting Adams could welly in.

Although Southampton was able to smell blood, Forest appeared to end the game effectively. Again, Johnson served as the impetus. He sent the ball back to Gibbs-White who, with a deft flip from the spot-kick, set up Danilo for a score. Even Aurier, who left hurt, left his spot on the Forest substitutes' bench to join the festivities and the drenched crowd. Cooper excitedly took off towards the touchline.

Sam Surridge's late foul on Roméo Lavia led to Ward-Prowse's late penalty, which created a nervous finish, but Forest survived.

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