The match of the 21st round of the Premier League between West Ham United and Nottingham Forest will take place 6 january at London Stadium. West Ham United vs Nottingham Forest: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
West Ham United
West Ham United were hoping to increase their points tally in the last round, as they faced clear league outsider Wolverhampton. But, playing away, the visitors suffered a heavy 0:3 defeat. It was already the fifth heavy loss in the current championship. As a result, the home side remain in the relegation zone, four points behind the safe 17th place, which, incidentally, is occupied by Nottingham Forest. Also, the club have become the worst in defense in the Premier League – 41 goals conceded.
- West Ham United's winless run in the championship already stands at 9 matches – 4 draws and 5 defeats.
- The team conceded at least two goals in 4 of their last 5 Premier League matches.
- The home side have failed to win in 13 of their last 15 home matches in the Premier League (4 draws and 9 defeats).
Potential West Ham United Lineup (4-2-3-1)*
West Ham United: Alphonse Areola – Oliver Scarles, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Kyle Walker-Peters, Max Kilman – Sungutu Magassa, Freddie Potts – Matheus Fernandes, Lucas Paquetá, Jarrod Bowen – Callum Wilson.
Out injured is goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. Defenders Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf have gone to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest also played away in the last round and also lost – they were beaten by Aston Villa 1:3. The losing run now stands at 4 matches, and this is already the second such long run without points in the current Premier League. For now the team remain outside the bottom three, while nearest rivals are slowly moving up the table. Also note that the visitors have scored only 19 goals, and only Wolverhampton have scored fewer in the league – 14.
- Nottingham Forest's uncompromising run in the Premier League stands at 10 matches – 4 wins and 6 defeats.
- Exactly two or three goals were scored in 11 of Nottingham Forest's last 14 away league matches.
- The club have failed to win in 8 of their last 10 away games in the Premier League (2 draws and 6 defeats).
Potential Nottingham Forest Lineup (4-5-1)*
Nottingham Forest: John Victor – Ola Aina, Murillo, Nikola Milenkovic, Neco Williams – Nicolas Domínguez, Elliott Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Omari Hutchinson, Dylan Bakwa – Igor Jesus.
In the infirmary are midfielder Ryan Yates and forwards Dan Ndoye and Chris Wood. Defender Willy Boly and midfielder Ibrahim Sangaré have gone to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Referee
Tony Harrington (England)
Matches – 9 (the Premier League, 2025/26);
Yellow/red Cards (including second yellows) – 28;
Average yellow/red Cards Per Match – 3.1;
Red Cards – 1;
Average Fouls Per Match – 20;
Penalties – 0%.
West Ham United vs Nottingham Forest: Match Prediction
Predicting a winner in this matchup will be difficult. Home advantage will not play any significant role here, since the home side have managed just 2 wins in 10 games in the current Premier League. The visitors look equally poor at home and away in the championship. We believe the opponents will provide a high-scoring game: after all, this match pits direct rivals in the fight for Premier League survival, and sitting back in defense makes little sense.
Both clubs score few goals, but concede a lot for a top-flight competition. The home side found the net in 10 of their last 14 home league matches, while they failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 15 home Premier League games. The visitors scored in 12 of their last 17 away Premier League matches. Nottingham Forest conceded in 16 of their last 18 away Premier League fixtures. In addition, the two previous head-to-head meetings at this stadium in the league ended 3:2 and 1:2.
Prediction: Both Teams To Score
* For each team the starting lineup shown is from its previous match in this tournament.
