West Ham United (H) 02/11/24

 

Nottingham Forest 3-0 West Ham United 

Wood 27'                                         (Alvarez Red Card 45+2')

Hudson-Odoi 65'

Aina 78'

 

Forest hadn’t won 3 successive games in the Premier League this century. Forest hadn’t won a Premier League game by more than 3 goals this century. Forest hadn’t finished the day in a top 3 place this century. Could all of this be changed today?

Last time out at the City Ground against the Hammers, the Reds were 2-0 winners courtesy of goals from Taiwo Awoniyi and Callum Hudson-Odoi. As for the away fixture, West Ham edged the Reds in a 3-2 victory. In Forest’s home first game back in the top flight in 23 years, West Ham were their opponents and the City Ground bounced due to a late first half goal from Awoniyi. Could Forest make it 3 in 3 against the Hammers at home since promotion?

After a minute’s silence and a lovely display from Forza Garibaldi during ‘Mull of Kintyre’ the game got underway. Forest dominated from the off, implementing their game plan and keeping West Ham under pressure. For all their hard work, Forest couldn’t create any real chances until the 27th minute when their star striker put them in front. Who else would it be? Morgan Gibbs-White, who had made the starting 11 after injury doubts, found the run of Alex Moreno down the left hand side with a brilliant lofted ball. Moreno broke into the box and dribbled to the byline where he crossed back for an unmarked Chris Wood. All he had to do was head the ball down past Fabianski into the centre of the goal and the City Ground had lift off.

The Reds kept the visitors at bay, not letting them have any attempts at goal. The noise from the Forest faithful increased which reflected on the pitch as the hosts continued to pile on the pressure. Against the run of play, the Hammers came close in first half injury time. Jarrod Bowen whipped in a ball from the right which Max Kilman met at the back post with a towering header back across goal. Mavropanos missed the shot and it fell back, luckily, to Lucas Paqueta on the edge of the box. He struck it on the half volley past Matz Sels but to Sels rescue was Wood blocking it on the line. The late first half drama didn’t stop there. Hudson-Odoi’s ball sent Elanga running down the right as the Swede looked to break into the box. However, he was stopped when Alvarez came flying in to take him off his feet, finding himself with a second yellow. His first was for stopping a promising counter attack too. I think all Forest fans’ highlight of the game was the midfielder accidentally walking past the tunnel on his way back to the dressing room.

The history was looking good for the hosts going into the second half. West Ham hadn’t won when conceding the opening goal this season whereas Forest haven’t lost when going ahead first this season. With the man advantage, Forest took a more possession-based approach to the start of the half with West Ham looking to hit them on the counter. The game became very end-to-end and frantic until Forest found a second to make their afternoon more comfortable. In his first involvement after coming off the bench, Elliot Anderson won a free-kick on the edge of the area close to the byline. Instead of crossing, he played it back to Hudson-Odoi on the edge of the box. I don’t know if it was a shot or a cross but the ball took a slight deflection off a West Ham head and looped into the bottom right corner beyond Fabianski’s reach.

Any chances of a Hammers’ comeback was fading as the Reds took even more control, frustrating West Ham. Forest were nearly 3 goals to the good as Nikola Milenkovic rose high and headed just wide following an Anderson corner. Just moments later and it was 3! Ola Aina drove forward and got the better of Soler as he tried to wriggle inside to shoot at goal. All his hard work seemed to be undone with a heavy touch though. Todibo tried to pass the ball away but his attempt hit Aina on the shoulder and bounced back to his feet. He continued his run until the ball dropped perfectly and blasted a stunner into the top left corner from the edge of the ‘d’. The game was definitely done now.

Forest weren’t settling for 3; they wanted more and the fans wanted more as they chanted loud and proud. Nicolas Dominguez played Anderson in behind the Hammers’ defence as he broke into the box down the left before pulling back to the centre. Milenkovic found himself in the box and he shot at goal but Fabianski pulled off a brilliant save. The ball was in the net from Ryan Yates to make it 4 but the offside flag, and a check by VAR, denied him. In the dying moments of the game, Ramon Sosa wanted his name on the scoresheet. From a long ball, Sosa won the ball and cut inside to make his angle at goal easier. He finally unleashed his strike which Fabianksi saved well to stop it curling into the corner.

I can’t believe I’m sat here and my team are in 3rd after 2 seasons of battling relegation. It feels so surreal and I’m very proud of our progress. I can’t single out a man of the match as everyone was brilliant and really pulled their weight. All the goals were amazing but especially Ola’s; I didn’t know he had that in him! Another game and another clean sheet which shows in our defensive record this season. I’ve fallen in love with another loan player and I really hope we get the chance to sign Moreno. Nuno’s plan was well worked throughout and on we go. Finishing the weekend in a Champion’s League place don’t sound too bad ay!

 

Forest: Sels; Moreno, Murillo, Milenkovic, Aina (De Silva Moreira 89'); Yates, Dominguez; Hudson-Odoi (Sosa 89'), Gibbs-White (Anderson 63') Elanga (Jota Silva 63'); Wood (Awoniyi 79')

 

West Ham United: Fabianski; Kilman, Todibo, Mavropanos; Emerson (Irving 79'), Alvarez, Rodriguez (Soler 46'), Wan-Bissaka; Summerville (Antonio 46'), Bowen, Paqueta