Nottingham Forest and West Ham United will be eager to return to winning ways when they face off at the City Ground on Sunday.

The first international break of the 2025/26 season is nearly here, and the players will temporarily part with their clubs to join their national sides after Sunday. The action on the day starts with two simultaneous fixtures, including Nottingham Forest vs West Ham United at the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest made an excellent start to the 2025/26 season, cruising to a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest. Crystal Palace provided a much more severe test, and Nuno Espirito Santo’s men had to come from a goal down to ensure a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile, the Tricky Trees have continued to be busy in the market for new signings this week, with Nicolo Savona arriving from Juventus.

On the other hand, West Ham United could not have asked for a worse start to the 2025/26 season. The Hammers have scored only once thus far while conceding eight goals in two Premier League outings to drop to the bottom of the standings. The misery continued in the EFL Cup, as Wolverhampton Wanderers came from two goals down to beat the East London club 3-2 earlier this week. So, the pressure is rising on Graham Potter, who must deliver results or face the sack.

The corresponding fixture last season saw Nottingham Forest cruise to a 3-0 win over West Ham United, with Chris Wood, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Ola Aina finding the back of the net. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Nottingham Forest

Nuno Espirito Santo has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Nottingham Forest manager will be bereft of the services of only one first-team player, with Nicolas Dominguez recovering from a knee injury.

Matz Sels is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Nottingham Forest lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs West Ham United on Sunday. The backline should feature Ola Aina, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, and Neco Williams. So, Nicolo Savona must wait for his Nottingham Forest debut.

As for the midfield unit, Ryan Yates should replace Ibrahim Sangare as Elliot Anderson’s partner in the double pivot, and the latter will celebrate his first call-up to his national side. Morgan Gibbs-White will reprise the no. 10 role, with Dan Ndoye and Callum Hudson-Odoi being the two wide attackers. Finally, Chris Wood will lead the line for Nottingham Forest against West Ham this weekend.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Yates; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood

West Ham United

Like his counterpart in the Nottingham Forest dugout, Graham Potter has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to the City Ground. The West Ham United manager will be without three first-team players on Sunday.

George Earthy is closing in on returning to action, but Sunday’s game may have come too soon for him. However, Crysencio Summerville (hamstring) and Luis Guilherme (shoulder) remain unavailable. Meanwhile, like Nottingham Forest, West Ham can showcase a summer signing after securing Mateus Fernandes’s services this week.

Mads Hermansen will retain his spot between the sticks despite his unimpressive performances thus far. West Ham United will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of the Danish goalkeeper vs Nottingham Forest on Sunday, with Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman, and Nayef Aguerd forming the central defensive unit.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf are automatic picks as the two wing-backs, and the duo will provide width in the final third while protecting the centre-backs. As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Tomas Soucek and James Ward-Prowse in the middle of the park. Finally, Jarrod Bowen should spearhead the West Ham attack against Nottingham Forest, with Lucas Paqueta and Mateus Fernandes completing the numbers in the offensive third.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Hermansen; Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd; Wan-Bissaka, Soucek, Ward-Prowse, Diouf; Paqueta, Mateus Fernandes; Bowen

Key Stats

• Nottingham Forest have won their last three Premier League matches vs West Ham United, having only won two of their first 11 against the East London outfit in the competition (D3 L6). The Hammers have not scored on any of their four Premier League visits to the City Ground (D1 L3). The last West Ham player to score there was Michael Hughes in September 1996.
• Among current Premier League sides, only Fulham (11) are on a longer run without a clean sheet than Nottingham Forest (10). It is the Midlands club’s longest run without a shut-out since going 14 without one between February and August 2024.
• West Ham United have lost their opening two Premier League matches this term, shipping eight goals, their worst start to a league campaign since 1954/55 (lost first two, conceded 10). The Hammers have begun with three defeats in four previous Premier League seasons (2010/11, 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2022/23), with only Southampton doing so as often (6 times).
• Nottingham Forest will aim to record victories in the first two home league matches in a season for the first time since the 2017/18 EFL Championship campaign. In the top flight, they have not done so since 1984/85.
• Dan Ndoye has been involved in a goal in his first two Premier League appearances for Nottingham Forest (G1 A1). No player has ever done so in their first three for the Tricky Trees.

Player to Watch

Chris Wood

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While Dan Ndoye, Lucas Paqueta, and Jarrod Bowen were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Chris Wood as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s Premier League clash between Nottingham Forest and West Ham United at the City Ground.

The veteran striker has been sensational during his spell with Nottingham Forest, and he has an impeccable record against West Ham United. Wood has scored eight Premier League goals against the Hammers, his joint most against one opponent. He also has eight strikes in his last ten home appearances overall, netting a brace in Gameweek 1 against Brentford. Expect him to be the go-to player for Nuno Espirito Santo again.

Prediction

Nottingham Forest 3-1 West Ham United

Despite mounting speculation surrounding Nuno Espirito Santo’s future at Nottingham Forest, the Tricky Trees remain in fine form. The manager in the opposing dugout is also under pressure, albeit for vastly different reasons. Graham Potter will set his team out to take the game to Nottingham Forest, but the numbers make for grim reading.

Since Graham Potter’s first Premier League game in charge at West Ham United on January 14 this year, no ever-present side has picked up fewer points than the Hammers (20). Since the start of March, they have won only two out of 13 games (D4 L7). That will unlikely change until the defensive showing improves, which we do not expect.

While West Ham will not go down without a fight, they cannot manage much without doing something about the soft underbelly. Chris Wood and Dan Ndoye should be in excellent touch, and we believe the home side will cruise to a straightforward victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Nuno Espirito Santo and his charges.