West Ham United (H) 17/02/24

 

Nottingham Forest 2-0 West Ham United

Awoniyi 45+6'                                Phillips Red Card 71'

Hudson-Odoi 90+4'

 

Nottingham Forest put their four Premier League game winless run to an end in a 2-0 win over a struggling West Ham United in yesterday's fixture at the City Ground.

 

The Hammers were looking to win three successive games against the Reds in a top-flight fixture for the first time in their history.  However, David Moyes' side haven’t won since late December with fans starting to put his position under pressure. Forest have been struggling too, having not won a Premier League game so far in 2024. Ola Aina, Ibrahim Sangare and Willy Boly all returned from the AFCON final a few days ago but head coach, Nuno Esprito Santo, decided not to include them in his 18-man matchday squad. Michail Antonio was a doubt going into the fixture following a recent knee injury but he was fit enough to start against his former side who he scored 16 goals for.

 

Just four minutes in, Forest had an excellent chance to take the lead. Tavares found himself up against Vladamir Coufal down the Red’s left. He managed to wriggle away from the defender before whipping a cross into the box. Anthony Elanga made lovely contact on the ball with his left foot but his shot was right at goalkeeper Alphonse Areola who saved with his foot. Anywhere else at the goal and the Swede would have found himself with his sixth goal of the season.

 

The Reds had a similar chance after a spell of possession. An in-form Callum Hudson-Odoi whipped in a cross from the left before hitting a West Ham defender and bouncing to Nicolas Dominguez on the edge of the box. His first touch wriggled away from the midfielder so before he could get his shot away, Nayef Aguerd stepped in make a tackle. His tackle wasn’t executed so Kalvin Phillips tried to flick the ball away but it fell to Morgan Gibbs-White just ten yards away from goal. Just like Elanga, he aimed straight at the keeper and the score remained level.

 

After West Ham managed to clear the ball away, Antonio found himself up against Felipe. The Forest defender dived in and Antonio wriggled away before looking like he was one on one against Mats Sels. Murillo came across and brilliantly cut off his angle to goal before stepping in and winning the ball. West Ham’s best opportunity of the game was wasted.

 

Forest had dominated the half and were repaid on the stroke of half time after half chances from Taiwo Awoniyi and Danilo. However, the Nigerian number nine had fired them infront. A headed clearance fell to Dominguez and he beautifully controlled it with his first touch. The Argentine’s weighted pass was even better finding Awoniyi perfectly around fifteen yards from goal. The red’s striker managed to wriggle away from defenders before slotting into the bottom right corner.

 

Halftime, 1-0.

 

A goal before the break and Forest were looking to do the same just a few minutes into the second half. Elanga latched onto a floating ball and looked to volley it past Areola but once again the French ‘keeper made a superb save. West Ham managed to create two chances of their own through a James Ward-Prowse free-kick and a shot from Jarrod Bowen but neither were enough to force Sels into a great save. Danilo also had a chance with a nicely hit volley but Areola parried away.

 

Life as a West Ham player hadn’t started the greatest for on-loan Manchester City midfielder, Kalvin Phillips. In just his second start for the Hammers, he found himself walking back to the dressing room. His first yellow card came in the 68^th minute after he became frustrated and pushed Domiguez because the Forest number sixteen tried to stop a quick free-kick. Only three minutes later, Gibbs-White looked to carry the Reds up the pitch but Phillips came across and clipped his knee sending the midfielder to the ground. Referee Thomas Bramall pulled out the yellow card again before holding up the red.

 

Making the most of the extra man advantage, Forest were having fun shooting. Nuno Tavares looked to strike one from range which to Red fan’s shock went just over. Elanga had a chance of his own but fired well over into the Trent End crowd.

 

Once again, Forest had a blatant penalty shout turned away from referees and VAR. Neco Williams broke down the right of the box before Maxwell Cornet came across and stood on the side of the Welshman’s left foot sending him down. After a check, no penalty was awarded. I don’t even think our new referee analyst, Mark Clattenburg, will be able to tell us why we haven’t got a penalty there!

 

Danilo looked to seal it late on for the Reds after he ran onto the ball and aimed for goal. Areola couldn’t get a hold of the ball and it went past him into the net. The linesmen put an end to all celebrations, raising his flag as Ryan Yates was interfering with play in an offside position.

 

Another chance for Forest to put the game to bed in stoppage time came after Danilo blocked a West Ham corner and the Reds quickly broke down their right. The ball was played across the box to an on-running Elanga who somehow missed and fired miles over.

 

Forest did manage to put the game to bed just two minutes later to Elanga’s delight. Divock Origi played a lovely flick to the right which looked like it was going to be dealt with by Aguerd but a determined Williams stole the ball and played it low across the box. It went through Elanga but luckily fell to Hudson-Odoi who slotted into the bottom left corner before Ben Johsnon could block it on the line.

 

The Reds put their four game winless run in the Premier League to an end with Hudson-Odoi keeping his goal scoring record going with three in three.

 

I wasn’t at today’s game as I’m away skiing so I’ve got different views than what I may have seeing the game live. That was probably our best performance of the season as we were all over them the whole game attacking wise. Our defence and ‘keeper didn’t really have anything to do either getting another clean sheet on the board. I can’t really fault anyone today but I’ll give a special shoutout to Neco and Callum who played phenomenally. We definitely should’ve had a penalty for the challenge on Neco and that’s now four obvious penalties we haven’t been awarded. Our finishing needs to improve too because we break and find ourselves in good positions but can’t find the back of the net and against a better side that could’ve come back to haunt us.

 

Forest: Sels; Williams, Felipe, Murillo, Tavares; Danilo, Dominguez (Yates 86'); Elanga, Gibbs-White (Omabamidele 90'), Hudson-Odoi; Awoniyi (Origi 67')

 

West Ham United: Areola; Coufal (Johnson 76'), Zouma (Ings 90'), Aguerd, Emerson (Soucek); Phillips, Alvarez; Bowen, Ward-Prowse, Kudus; Antonio (Cornet 76')