LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Nuno Espirito Santo insisted troubled West Ham can still avoid relegation after Morgan Gibbs-White’s late penalty fired Nottingham Forest to a crucial 2-1 win on Tuesday.

Sean Dyche’s side fell behind to Murillo’s early own goal at the London Stadium.

But West Ham had a second goal from Crysencio Summerville controversially ruled out by VAR for the tightest of offside decisions.

Forest rubbed salt into West Ham’s wounds with a stirring fightback as Nicolas Dominguez equalised before Gibbs-White netted from the spot after another VAR call went the visitors’ way.

Fourth-bottom Forest are now seven points clear of third-bottom West Ham with 17 games left in the fight for survival.

Hammers boss Nuno said last weekend’s dismal 3-0 defeat against bottom of the table Wolves was the worst of his managerial career.

But this painful loss was even more damaging to their hopes of avoiding a first season in the Championship since 2011-12.

West Ham have gone 10 games without a win, managing just one point from their last six matches to leave Nuno facing calls for his sacking just months after arriving at the east London club.

“We got the advantage, we scored a goal ruled out by fine margins of offside, that was the moment of the game, and a lot of incidents happened,” Nuno said.

Incensed by Gibbs-White’s penalty, Nuno added: “It happens so many times during the matches that you get confused about the rules honestly. How many times has this happened and penalties have not been given?

“We have to keep believing and sticking together. It’s not over yet. I’ll keep working with the boys.”

Ending a run of four successive defeats was a massive boost to Forest’s bid to beat the drop under boss Sean Dyche, who replaced Nuno’s successor, Ange Postecoglou, at the City Ground in September.

“Pleased with the mentality of the players. Awkward game for both sides and 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 said.

Nuno was in charge of Forest for 21 months, leading them to their first European berth in three decades, before being sacked in September after a dispute with owner Evangelos Marinakis over the club’s transfer policy.

Yet since Nuno took charge on September 27 West Ham have averaged fewer points per game than under his much-maligned processor Graham Potter.

– Forest on fire –

Nuno’s team took the lead with a huge stroke of luck in the 13th minute.

Tomas Soucek rose highest to flick Summerville’s corner into the six-yard box and Murillo was unable to react in time as he glanced a header into his own net.

It was no surprise that the opening goal came from a corner — only West Ham have conceded more goals from that route in the Premier League this season than Forest’s eight.

West Ham thought they had doubled their advantage in the 51st minute through Summerville’s powerful drive, but the goal was disallowed by VAR for a narrow offside call against debutant Valentin Castellanos in the build-up.

Nuno was furious but Forest seized on the reprieve to equalise in the 55th minute.

Once again, it was weakness at set-pieces that proved fatal for West Ham as Dominguez met Elliot Anderson’s corner with a looping header that dropped into the far corner while the Hammers defence stood statuesque.

Areola’s blunder handed Forest their decisive penalty in the 89th minute.

In a bid to punch clear, Areola came off his line and thumped into Gibbs-White’s head with his out-stretched arm.

The penalty was awarded after a VAR check and Gibbs-White dusted himself down to drill the spot-kick past Areola, pushing the crest-fallen Nuno to the brink.