West Ham United vs Nottingham Forest preview, team news, tickets & prediction

West Ham will be coming off a crucial European fixture with a consecutive home clash against Steve Cooper’s Nottingham Forest, who might have vengeance on their mind. Here is a preview.

2022/23 UEFA Europa League winners West Ham are gearing up for a tricky match against Nottingham Forest in which anything could happen. Indeed, both sides won the home game from their Premier League meetings last season, but the Londoners have won four of their six most recent encounters.

The last time they faced off at the London Stadium in February saw Danny Ings score twice on his first start for West Ham, with Declan Rice and Michail Antonio completing the rout in a late second-half capitulation for Forest. That result eased the Hammers’ relegation fears at the time, but their fortunes are certainly on the up this term. 

At the time of writing, five points separate the sides, with West Ham up in seventh while Cooper’s side are 13th on the log.

The Irons are riding on confidence after last season’s triumph in the Europa Conference League. Although they were pegged back by Bournemouth in the opening game of the campaign in a match that ended 1-1, more was to come for them.

West Ham beat Chelsea 3-1 in their first home game and built on that outstanding performance with two more victories against Brighton and Luton Town. Consecutive 3-1 defeats to Manchester City and Liverpool aren’t the worst thing in the world, as they beat Backa Topola in the Europa League between those games. 

Yet, David Moyes’ side continued a decent start to the season with wins against Lincoln City, Sheffield United and SC Freiburg before doing well to hold off a second-half Newcastle fightback.

The Hammers recruited well over the summer transfer window and are poised to push on in a promising campaign. In truth, Moyes has imprinted his style on this group of players who can go toe-to-toe with the best teams in the country. 

Nottingham Forest will be wary of the resilient Hammers but confident in their ability to cause an upset after getting off to a much better start to the current campaign. Despite posting an abysmal record on their travels last season with only one win, the Garibaldi have seen their impressive away performances largely unrewarded, yet they have four points this term.  

The West Bridgford side has come a long way since gaining promotion as they look to gradually evolve into a stable Premier League club in 2023/24.

Arsenal and Manchester United were lucky to get away with three points each against Forest either side of a win against Sheffield United courtesy of Chris Wood’s late header.

Forest got their first away win at Chelsea in 27 years as their season sparked into life. Still, they failed to win any of their next four matches against Burnley, Manchester City, Brentford and Crystal Palace, with three draws and a defeat to the Premier League champions. 

The bruising experiences and subsequent survival from last season have certainly toughened up the Tricky Trees, who are more challenging to beat this term. 

Possessing a solid defensive unit, physically imposing midfielders and a clinical frontman in Taiwo Awoniyi, Forest is an adamant opponent.

They will feel well prepared for the battle against West Ham’s similarly well-drilled side, and it is up to which team first takes their chances. Expect a thrilling end-to-end game with lots of invention from set-piece situations. 

Match tickets

This match is scheduled for Sunday, 12 November, with kick-off set for 3 PM UK time. Considering West Ham’s form and the eye-catching kick-off time, the London Stadium is set to be sold out for this game against Forest. 

More than 62,000 people could be in attendance, and given that the tickets on each club’s site will prioritise season ticket-holding fans, those who hope to travel down to the stadium may feel disadvantaged. 

Nevertheless, supporters who want to get West Ham United vs Nottingham Forest tickets can still do so via ticket resale sites. 

Team news

Left full-back Aaron Cresswell has struggled with a thigh injury this season, and it is unclear whether he would be fit enough to be in the squad for this match. Otherwise, West Ham has a clean bill of health save for any latest updates. 

Taiwo Awoniyi, Nuno Tavares, Felipe, Ola Aina, Ryan Yates, Nicolas Dominguez and Danilo have been on the recent injury list for Cooper’s side with questions marks on their availability against West Ham. Notwithstanding, most of the above names should be backfit before the game.

Line-ups

Moyes will count on his trusted lieutenants, with the additions of James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez raising the quality and tenacity of the team this season.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Kudus is knocking on the door for regular starts and might force his way in soon should he keep up his impressive performances. 

West Ham United: Areola; Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson; Alvarez, Soucek; Bowen, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta; Antonio 

Given Awoniyi’s recent injury status, Chris Wood is one to keep an eye on whether he starts or comes off the bench. The New Zealand marksman has scored more Premier League goals against West Ham than he has any other opponent (seven). He will, therefore, be chomping at the bit to be let loose by Cooper.

Ola Aina should also be back in the team after his injury to continue his bright start to life at the club. 

Nottingham Forest: Turner; Aurier, Boly, Murillo, Aina; Sangare, Mangala, Dominguez; Gibbs-White, Wood, Hudson-Odoi

Prediction

The hosts are favourites for this game, and it is up to Forest to upset the odds and get a crucial win in East London. 

It could be an open game, with the Hammers keeping only a clean sheet all season while Cooper’s men pose a considerable threat. This might swing either way, but West Ham should see out the victory. 

West Ham 3-1 Nottingham Forest

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