How many points do Nottingham Forest need to finish in Premier League's top five?

The race for the Premier League title is a foregone conclusion and the relegation picture is all but confirmed, but the battle to secure a UEFA Champions League berth is only heating up.

Nottingham Forest's 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur has catapulted the Premier League's surprise package to the head of an extremely rowdy group all vying for a top-five finish.

Nuno Espirito Santo's men are perched in third following their success in north London but have Newcastle United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Aston Villa in hot pursuit.

Traditionally it's the top four teams that are rewarded with a spot in the UEFA Champions League for the subsequent campaign.

However, thanks to UEFA's association club coefficent rankings, the Premier League has been generously awarded an additional spot, which means the club finishing fifth will also go straight into Europe's elite club competition next season.

That only increases the likelihood of Nottingham Forest qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, but with the table between third and seventh mightily congested, we've looked at what the East Midlands club need to achieve in their remaining fixtures.

Number of points needed to finish fifth in the Premier League

Since the Premier League became a 20-team division ahead of the 1995/96 season, it has taken an average of 64.86 points to finish in the top five of the table.

Forest are currently on 60 points and require two wins from their remaining five to exceed that total.

However, given the volume of clubs in close proximity to Nuno's team, three wins may be what's required to assure Forest of a top-five spot.

Nottingham Forest's remaining Premier League fixtures

• Brentford (H) - Thursday 1st May
• Crystal Palace (A) - Monday 5th May
• Leicester City (H) - Sunday 11th May
• West Ham (A) - Sunday 18th May
• Chelsea (H) - Sunday 25th May

How does Nottingham Forest's fixtures compare to their rivals?

Of the five teams in contention for a top-five finish, Forest possess the most generous run-in.

Forest play four teams currently in the bottom-half, including a home clash with relegated Leicester City, with their toughest match on paper being a potentially seismic meeting with Chelsea on the final day of the season.

The average league position of teams Forest are still to play is 12.8, which is considerably kinder than that of Chelsea (7.4) and Newcastle (9.6).

Aston Villa's closing stretch will also be of encouragement to Unai Emery with encounters against two teams currently besotted by the Europa League, Tottenham and Manchester United.

Manchester City still have to face Wolves and Southampton before finishing up with fixtures against Bournemouth and Fulham.