Leeds United delivered a potentially season-defining performance on Friday evening, sweeping aside Nottingham Forest 3-1 at a rain-soaked Elland Road to open up a nine-point cushion above the Premier League's drop zone.
Both clubs entered this crucial encounter sitting six points above the relegation places, fully aware that three points could prove transformative for their survival hopes.
The result brings Forest's four-match unbeaten streak to an abrupt halt, despite their recent run yielding eight points.
Sean Dyche's side now face an anxious wait as Saturday's fixture between Burnley and West Ham could further complicate their position, with just six points separating them from the Hammers.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored his 10th Premier League goal of the season
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The hosts seized control through a devastating four-minute spell midway through the opening period.
Ilia Gruev's perfectly weighted long ball over the Forest defence picked out Jayden Bogle's darting run, and the wing-back coolly slotted beneath Stefan Ortega for his maiden Premier League goal in Leeds colours.
Before the visitors could regroup, the deficit doubled. Brenden Aaronson's tireless work created space for James Justin, whose saved effort was squared across goal for Noah Okafor to tap home from close range, ending his goal drought stretching back to October.
Forest, who had threatened through Nicolás Domínguez and Igor Jesus earlier, suddenly found themselves shell-shocked.
Sean Dyche is coming under major pressure at Nottingham Forest
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The contest was effectively settled four minutes after the interval. Gruev again proved the architect, delivering a curling cross that Calvert-Lewin chested beyond Ortega's reach and into the net.
The striker's tenth top-flight goal of the campaign represents his finest return since the 2020-21 season, when he featured regularly for England. No English player has found the net more frequently in the Premier League this term.
Elland Road's faithful, who had earlier watched their number nine strike the crossbar with a header, responded with chants calling for his international recall.
Daniel Farke's side continued pressing, with Ortega required to produce instinctive saves.
Forest managed a late response when new signing Lorenzo Lucca marked his debut with a powerful header from Omari Hutchinson's delivery in the 86th minute, his first goal in English football.
Leeds were in fine form over Nottingham Forest, who did score a consolation late on
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The consolation sparked some tension in the closing stages, with Karl Darlow forced into a crucial intervention deep into added time to deny Ibrahim Sangare an equaliser.
Leeds supporters, who had spent much of the evening singing through the downpour, could finally exhale when the whistle confirmed their vital three points.
Forest must now nervously observe proceedings at Turf Moor on Saturday, where a West Ham victory would intensify the pressure considerably.