Nottingham Forest – West Ham
Nottingham Forest has won three of its last five direct matches against West Ham United, yet the upcoming clash at City Ground is shaping up to be a special one. While the hosts sit in fifth place with four points, the Hammers are stuck at the bottom of the table without a point after two defeats. Despite qualifying for the Europa League, Nuno Espírito Santo is facing public criticism of the club’s management, while Graham Potter is already fighting for his job after just two league games following the 5-1 debacle against Chelsea and the cup exit against Wolves. The bookmakers see Forest as clear favorites, but internal tensions at both clubs could lead to surprises.
- Venue: The City Ground, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
- Date and time: August 31, 2025, 3:00 p.m.
- Competition: Premier League (Matchday 3)
Nottingham Form & Record Check
Nottingham Forest are in a respectable 5th place after two matchdays, level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea. A commanding 3-1 home win against Brentford was followed by a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace, with Hudson-Odoi scoring the important equalizer in the 57th minute after Sarr’s early lead. The game was marked by remarkable discipline in the first half and frantic moments after the break, resulting in four yellow cards. In their last five games, Forest have conceded at least one goal, mostly in the second half, suggesting physical or tactical weaknesses in defense. Nuno Espírito Santo’s public criticism of the transfer policy and tensions with owner Marinakis could weigh on the team, despite the signings of reinforcements such as Douglas Luiz, McAtee, and Kalimuendo.
Nuno Espírito Santo is likely to field his 4-2-3-1 formation with Sels in goal and a back line of Williams, Milenković, Murillo, and Aina. Sangaré and Anderson could provide stability in central midfield. Nicolás Domínguez is still out with a knee injury. In attack, Gibbs-White is expected to play as the central playmaker, with Hudson-Odoi and Ndoye on the wings, while Wood is likely to lead the line after his goal against Crystal Palace. This lineup remains speculation until the official announcement, especially given the discussions between Marinakis and Nuno about the club’s direction.
West Ham Form & Record Check
West Ham find themselves in a dangerous spiral at the bottom of the table after two matchdays. The 3-0 defeat at Sunderland on the opening day of the season was already alarming, but the 5-1 debacle against Chelsea at home revealed structural problems. Graham Potter’s record since January shows twelve defeats in 22 games, and the recent 3-2 loss to Wolves in the League Cup brought no relief, even though West Ham led 2-1 through Souček and Paquetá before Strand Larsen turned the game around in two minutes. The defense looks destabilized: new signing Hermansen conceded eight goals in his first two Premier League appearances, three of them from corners against Chelsea. The 3-4-2-1 system exposes the midfield and makes the team vulnerable to counterattacks. Personnel worries are mounting with Summerville’s muscle injury until mid-September and Guilherme’s shoulder problems. The sale of Kudus to Tottenham for £54.5 million further weakens the offense, while Álvarez has been loaned to Fenerbahce. Potter is working on reinforcements, negotiating with Monaco for Magassa for €17 million plus bonuses and keeping Fernandes of Southampton as an option.
West Ham are likely to line up in Potter’s preferred 3-5-2 formation, but with some key absences: Summerville is still out with a thigh injury, while Luis Guilherme is out indefinitely with shoulder problems. In midfield, Potter could turn to Magassa, whose transfer is imminent and who would bring pace and energy to the sluggish center. Bowen and Paquetá are likely to play as an attacking duo, as both have been among the few bright spots recently. The defense around Todibo, Aguerd, and Mavropanos should remain unchanged, while Walker-Peters and Diouf could occupy the wings. This lineup depends on the desired transfers.
H2H Nottingham – West Ham Head-to-head & statistics
The last five meetings show Forest’s dominance with three wins to the Hammers’ two, with no draws. After two initial West Ham victories, Forest won the last three games in a row, most recently in May 2025 with a 2-1 away win at London Stadium. Forest’s home strength is remarkable: both home games at City Ground ended in clean sheet victories, 3-0 in November 2024 and 2-0 in February 2024. Tactically, these duels usually only develop after the break, with four out of five games seeing few goals in the first half, while the second half regularly produced plenty of goals. Forest scored before the break in four of the five encounters, underlining their early activity.
Forest have conceded at least one goal in all of their encounters, while West Ham have scored in 80% of their games despite their problems. Chris Wood is in good form for the hosts, and with Bowen and Paquetá, the Hammers have plenty of attacking quality, suggesting a “both teams to score” bet. Forest are the favorites at odds of 1.7, but the upcoming crisis talks between Marinakis and Nuno, as well as the absence of Domínguez, could call this assessment into question. The “Double Chance X2” for West Ham or a draw looks quite attractive at a draw price of 3.8. “Over 2.5 goals” also seems logical, especially as both teams are particularly vulnerable in the second half.
