West Ham – Nottingham Forest
West Ham United are brimming with confidence after their 2-0 win at Old Trafford and welcome Nottingham Forest to the London Stadium, where the visitors have rarely had cause to celebrate despite a 3-0 win in the first leg. The hosts need a few more points to finish the season on a high, while Forest, currently seventh with 62 points, still have their sights set on fifth place. Both teams have to replace key attacking players, with West Ham missing Michail Antonio and Forest without Taiwo Awoniyi, and it is precisely this personnel shortage that makes the duel even more explosive – after all, neither side wants to throw away the final sprint of the season.
West Ham – Nottingham Info
- Venue: London Stadium, London
- Date and time: May 18, 2025, 3:15 p.m.
- Competition: Premier League (Matchday 37)
West Ham form & record check
West Ham ended a run of eight games without a win with an away victory in Manchester. With 40 points, the team is in 15th place in the table, just one point behind Wolves. The Londoners have scored at least once in each of their last five league games, but have conceded in four of those encounters. Tomas Souček and Jarrod Bowen remain the most reliable performers, while Graham Potter is unlikely to tinker with his tried-and-tested 3-4-1-2 formation. The season remains disappointing, but the recent breakthrough could be a moral turning point.
Potter is likely to stick with a 3-4-1-2 formation. Areola will start in goal, with Todibo, Kilman, and Cresswell forming a back three, while Coufal and Wan-Bissaka will operate on the flanks. Ward-Prowse and Souček will direct play in the center, with Bowen and Kudus supporting new signing Paquetá behind the striker. Summerville and Antonio remain sidelined for the long term, and surprises in the starting lineup are unlikely.
Nottingham Form & Record Check
Nottingham Forest are in poor form, but have scored more than 1.5 goals in each of their last five league games. A 2-1 win at Tottenham has been followed by two defeats and two draws. It is striking that in each of these games, the East Midlanders conceded at least one goal after the break, highlighting a lack of concentration. Chris Wood has already scored 20 league goals, but without Hudson-Odoi and Awoniyi, there is a lack of pace on the wings. With 62 points and in 7th place in the table, there is still a chance of finishing in the top five if the defense can be stabilized.
Nuno Espírito Santo sticks with his 4-2-3-1 formation: Sels in goal, Williams, Milenković, Morato, and Aina in a back four. Sangaré and Anderson anchor the midfield, with Gibbs-White distributing the ball to Elanga and Domínguez. Chris Wood is the lone striker up front. Hudson-Odoi is still out, but otherwise the squad is available without any major injuries.
H2H West Ham – Nottingham Head-to-head & statistics
There has not been a single draw in the last five head-to-head matches: Nottingham won three times and West Ham twice. The most recent encounter ended 3-0 for Forest in November 2024. In London, however, West Ham scored three and four goals respectively in both home games. The game often only came to life after the break, with less than 1.5 goals scored before half-time on four occasions. The data therefore points to another high-scoring game with an open outcome.
