Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper says the fight against relegation from the Premier League is not over, but that their 4-3 win over Southampton could be a huge moment.
While Leeds United lost 2-1 to Manchester City on Saturday and relegation rivals Leicester were defeated 5-3 by Fulham on Monday, Forest took full advantage to move up to 16th, three points above the drop zone with three games to play. Those results, coupled with a shock 5-1 win for Everton at Brighton, mean Sam Allardyce's men are now second bottom in the Premier League table.
Just three points seperate four sides scrapping to avoid two relegation places, with Southampton now increasingly adrift at the foot of the table. Leeds and Leicester are level on 30 points, with Everton on 32 and Forest now on 33, with the Whites facing third-placed Newcastle United at Elland Road on Saturday.
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Forest head to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Saturday, before hosting title-chasing Arsenal and ending the campaign with a tricky away match at mid-table Crystal Palace. And while he was delighted with Monday night's win, Cooper knows there is still a long way to go in the fight for survival.
"We feel like we are playing OK and we have won two games in three," he said. "You always want consecutive wins and where we are that is not easy to do, so to win two in three is a real positive thing.
"It just gives us a little bit more confidence and momentum to just go into the next one. For sure we are going to need more points and more positive results. It is a massive win tonight and an important one, but it will be even bigger if we build on it.
"That has to be the plan from now. We will start the cycle of putting one game to bed and preparing for the next one. No days off and the work ethic has to be at its maximum in giving the players everything they need to be ready for the next game."
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