Nottinghamshire

With the Premier League top two fairly set in stone and the relegation places all but decided, we asked former England midfielder Fara Williams to pick her final table from third down to 10th.

Nottingham Forest will hang on to third based on what they have built this season in terms of being defensively hard to break down and playing in transitions very well. They are finding ways to win games by playing to their strengths.

I do not think Chelsea are good enough to secure fourth. I have put Manchester City there because they have enough firepower and always seem to finish Premier League seasons really well. They have not been in good form but they have that know-how and still a bit of a fear factor against some of the teams they play.

I have Chelsea in fifth because if Cole Palmer can refind his form they will have a good run of games. Newcastle in sixth - where they currently sit - as I think they will continue on the same trajectory with their run of fixtures.

The rest is really difficult. I have put Bournemouth seventh as their pressing and high-intensity play will see them pick up form again and rise a few places.

I have Aston Villa eighth as their focus will be on the Champions League, then Brighton ninth and Fulham 10th as I do not think their form will improve significantly. They are still impressive finishes.

Having said this, it has never been so close in this area of the table from what I can remember. These teams are likely to finish within one win of each other so much can change on one result.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nat Hayward

Image source, Getty Images

Former Nottingham Forest midfielder Steve Hodge has been explaining what has sparked the club's "remarkable" turnaround, one year on from the Reds receiving a four-point deduction for breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.

Speaking on BBC Radio Nottingham's Shut Up and Show More Football podcast, Hodge said: "It's down to lots of different people. It's not just those on the pitch, but also those off the pitch - recruitment-wise and management staff.

"Everybody deserves a lot of credit around the football club. It is remarkable. I don't think anyone who thinks they know football would have had Nottingham Forest even in the top half of the table this season.

"So, as we approach April, to be in the top four or five for the whole season with 16 wins in the Premier League - that takes some doing. It has been deserved. I think everyone appreciates that this side have done a great job.

"They do need to keep their main players fit because they will still have issues with their squad depth and strength if some of those main players get injured, so touch wood on that.

"The success this season is down to the improvement of the players, the improvement in recruitment, how they have gelled together, the management and how the staff have structured the team.

"Also the players being self-motivated and happy with each other, wanting to run through brick walls for each other, gets results like they have got so far this season."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

I make no apology for mentioning Nottingham Forest yet again.

It is like watching a rank outsider in a classic horse race like the Grand National or the Kentucky Derby. You constantly expect them to falter and be swallowed up by the field, but as they keep gamely battling on, every stride gets more people cheering them on to the end.

‌Another fine win against Ipswich gives them a seven-point cushion for the Holy Grail of a Champions League place.

The problem is that the others are ready to pounce if they do run out of legs. There will be no canter to the finish line for Forest, but I still hope they will make it.

They deserve it.

Sign up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White did not think the club would be fighting for Europe this season, but feels they "deserve" to be there.

It has been quite the turnaround for the Reds over the past year, having received a points deduction 12 months ago to now entrenched in the Premier League's top four.

The midfielder, who received a late call-up for Thomas Tuchel's first England squad at the weekend, has been reflecting on their rise.

"It's been a remarkable year," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "Just to see where we have come from, from this time last year, is incredible. I think the Forest fans deserve that the most.

"Getting back into the Premier League was one thing. Scrambling in relegation for the two years we were in the Premier League obviously wasn't nice. It wasn't good, it wasn't enjoyable, but now we have given the fans something to cheer about."

Nuno Espirito Santo's side are currently third - six points clear of fifth-placed Manchester City with nine games remaining.

"The funny thing is that in pre-season we had belief that we could do something this season," Gibbs-White said. "Did we think to this level? Probably not, but we felt that we could achieve something good this season.

"With the pre-season we had under the manager, because he perfectly implemented his ideas, and his man management and his belief in his players, he really got to know everyone individually and I think that is what has helped us massively.

"So, did I think we would be in this position? No.

"Would I have snapped your hand off? Yes.

"I think we deserve to be in the situation that we are in. We work so hard, day in and day out, to achieve these goals."

Listen to the full Football Daily episode on BBC Sounds