The first PL home game at the City Ground since 1999 should be a passionate affair between 2 sides looking for their first win of the season. Forest have a very poor record playing on a Sunday with 7 losses out of the last 8 games, with their only win being the most important beating Huddersfield 0-1 in the play-off final.
Forest’s first game back in the big time saw them struggle badly away at Newcastle, losing 2-0. Not even mustering a single shot on target and only having 5 attempts in total Forest are going to have to start creating more goal scoring opportunities to give themselves any chance of PL survival.
West Ham suffered the same fate at the hands of Man City, losing at home 0-2, In a game in which they had only 25% possession and just 1 shot on goal. Conceding a penalty when Substitute keeper Areola came on to give It away, then got beat from the spot by Haaland, and again he popped up in front of him in the 65’ to tuck away his second. So let’s hope Fabianski can get himself fit in time to take the gloves back.
With this fixture not being a PL regular, the H2H form to study is patchy at best. We have to go back to 2014 for the last time they met in an F.A Cup tie where Forest destroyed them 5-0. Going back further to the Championship matches of 2011/12 where West Ham did the double, winning 1-4 away and 2-1 at home.
Key stats
* 80% BTTS over last 10 H2Hs
* West Ham haven’t won in the last 5 matches (D3,L2)
* Forest haven’t won in the last 4 matches (D2,L2)
* Last 6 H2Hs have seen Over 2.5+ goals
* A F/H goal has been scored in the last 6 H2Hs
Everything points towards goals in this one, so I’m going for a 3-2 home win at big odds. It’ll be a game of chances, and I see Forest just edging it on quality. West Ham has been really poor away from home, with only 1 PL win in the last 8. I believe the crowd will have a lot to do with the final result. If Forest can get them buzzing early on, they’ll be there at the end to see them over the line, and they should be celebrating a late winner for their efforts.
