West Ham United FC vs Nottingham Forest FC, English Premier League 2024-25, Today Match Prediction

West Ham United FC vs Nottingham Forest FC Match Prediction & Analysis

Sunday's early Premier League match sees West Ham host a Nottingham Forest side chasing a Champions League spot. Despite West Ham's disappointing season placing them 15th, Forest, who finished just above relegation last year, are now surprisingly seventh, only a point outside the top six. 

While Nottingham Forest convincingly won the reverse fixture 3-0, securing a Champions League berth against a potentially less motivated West Ham at the London Stadium remains a significant challenge. Let's examine the factors at play for this intriguing encounter. 

Head to Head Record - Nottingham Forest have a slight upper hand in recent meetings, winning four of the last seven against West Ham, who have three victories. Forest won their most recent clash 3-0 in November, with West Ham going down to ten men.

TEAMS PREVIEW

West Ham United FC Preview

West Ham are having a disappointing season, sitting on 40 points after 36 games, with a best possible finish of 13th. Their recent 2-0 win against a struggling Manchester United ended an eight-game winless run but was their first victory in a while. Home form has also been poor, with no wins in their last four league games and only two victories in their last ten at the London Stadium since December. 

Even a managerial change to Graham Potter hasn't significantly improved their results, with defensive improvements not translating to offensive success. While their win at Old Trafford was notable, it came against a United side in poor form.

West Ham will be without Michail Antonio (broken leg) and Crysencio Summerville (thigh) for their final home game. There are no new injury concerns following their win against Manchester United, so Graham Potter is expected to field a similar lineup. 

Captain Bowen, who has scored in his last three home games, will likely lead the attack. Lucas Paqueta could return to the midfield, potentially replacing Guido Rodriguez, despite ongoing speculation about his future at the club due to a betting investigation.

West Ham United Probable Starting Lineup - Areola (GK); Cresswell, Kilman, Todibo; Coufal, Soucek, Ward-Prowse, Wan-Bissaka; Paqueta; Bowen, Kudus

Nottingham Forest FC Preview

Nottingham Forest, this season's surprise contenders, have seen their Champions League hopes dented by recent poor form. After a 2-2 home draw against relegated Leicester last week, they are now winless in three. Their away form has been inconsistent lately, despite boasting the league's third-best away record with 30 points. 

Having spent much of the season in the top five, Forest's tactics seem to have lost their edge, with goals harder to come by and their defense less solid, resulting in just one win in their last seven matches. A late equalizer against Leicester saw them drop to seventh, making their final game against Chelsea crucial for any Champions League aspirations. 

For Nottingham Forest, the main concern is Taiwo Awoniyi, who underwent emergency abdominal surgery after a collision last week and is recovering from an induced coma; he's out for the season. Murillo is doubtful with a thigh issue, and Hudson-Odoi is sidelined for the remaining games with a hamstring injury. 

Chris Wood, a nominee for Player of the Year, has a good scoring record against West Ham. Despite securing European football, owner Marinakis was seen having a heated discussion with manager Nuno Espírito Santo after their draw with Leicester. 

Nottingham Forest Probable Starting Lineup - Sels (GK); Aina, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams; Yates, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Dominguez; Wood