By Ross KilvingtonPremier League survival is looking increasingly likely with each passing matchday, plus, Forest are into the semifinals of a European club competition for the first time since 1984.Vítor Pereira’s men haven’t been rewarded the luxury of an exotic away tie, however, as Forest face Aston Villa for a place in the Europa League final. Braga or Freiburg await the winner in the final should they make it that far, which offers plenty of incentive, especially with a place in the Champions League up for grabs.A few months ago, that was about as unlikely as Evangelos Marinakis persisting with the same manager for an entire season.Now, things are different thanks to Morgan Gibbs-White and his incredible run of form in recent weeks.Gibbs-White player traits compared to similar players in top 5 leaguesMorgan Gibbs-White is Forest’s most dangerous weaponOn January 1, Forest were skating on thin ice as they sat 18th in the Premier League table, a mere four points above the relegation zone.Given the fact they were onto their third permanent manager of the season, relegation was looking like a realistic proposition.Up until that point, Gibbs-White had scored just three league goals across the opening 19 matches of the campaign.If his New Years’ Resolution was to score more goals, then it has certainly worked. In 15 league games between January 3 and April 24, the Englishman has scored ten goals, including his first ever senior hat-trick against Burnley a couple of weeks ago.That was arguably his finest performance of the campaign to date. Despite trailing 1-0 at the break, Gibbs-White equalised with 30 minutes remaining thanks to a neat finish in the box. His second came just seven minutes later courtesy of an impressive volley and he completed his 15-minute treble with a header that put Forest 3-1 up and on the way to securing all three points.“He is leading by example. I know a lot of [captains] that speak and speak but it proves nothing,” said Pereira regarding Gibbs-White and his performance against the Clarets.“I didn’t feel he was his best level in the first half but he did fantastic in the second half.”He was shifted into an unconventional spot on the left-hand side of the midfield against Sunderland last week as the manager opted for two up top, yet that didn’t deter him from producing another excellent display.The Premier League relegation pictureWhile Gibbs-White scored and grabbed an assist during the 5-0 thrashing of Sunderland, he also chipped in with nine defensive contributions throughout the match, the third-highest tally across both teams.This eagerness to drop back and assist with the ugly side of the game proves just how effective the midfielder has been since the turn of the year.With four games to go, Forest occupy 16th, five points clear of Tottenham in the final relegation place. Gibbs-White will be fully focussed on maintaining Forest’s Premier League status this term, but Europe is proving to be a useful distraction.A series of excellent performances has Forest on the brink of Europa League successIgor Jesus leads the way in the competition when it comes to goals (7) and goals per 90 (1.02) for the Premier League side, but Gibbs-White has translated his domestic form to the continent since the start of the knockout stages.He was incredible against Fenerbahçe in the knockout playoff round first leg, scoring and grabbing an assist during a 3-0 win. The midfielder also scored what turned out to be the winning goal against Porto in the quarter-final, proving that is isn’t fazed on the European stage.This is further evidenced by his superb attacking statistics in the Europa League this season. Indeed, Gibbs-White not only ranks in the top 6% when compared to his peers for shots (25) and shots on target (13) this season, but also for big chances created (5) and touches in the opposition penalty area (47).Gibbs-White passing numbers in the Europa LeagueAs such, his performances have helped drive Forest to the brink of the Europa League final. Should they go on to win the tournament and remain in the Premier League, surely Gibbs-White will be targeted by Europe’s finest this summer.With the World Cup fast approaching, Gibbs-White won’t be thinking of a move away, at least not right now.The Forest star has won six caps for England, but he was overlooked by Thomas Tuchel for his two most recent squads, including the friendless against Japan and Uruguay last month.Morgan Rogers has been Tuchel’s preferred choice in an attacking midfield role since taking over the national team. Given his form for Villa this term, he looks to be the favourite to start against Croatia in England’s opening World Cup match.Should Gibbs-White maintain his wonderful run over the next few weeks, he will surely give Tuchel something to ponder ahead of the tournament this summer.Before that, his thoughts will be firmly on ending the season by not only preserving Forest’s top flight status, but hopefully by lifting a major European trophy in May.Whatever happens, Gibbs-White will be a sought after player when the transfer window opens later in the year. Where he ends up is anyone’s guess, but there is no doubt the 26-year-old belongs in the Champions League.(Cover image from IMAGO)You can follow every Nottingham Forest with FotMob this season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.Add FotMob as a preferred news source on Google by clicking – here.