West Ham have taken two Premier League wins in their previous three fixtures and are gradually improving their position in the league table. Currently, West Ham are thirteenth in the Premier League table with eleven points after nine matches and will now face high-flying Nottingham Forest in an away fixture, who are seventh in the league table.
West Ham aiming to secure consecutive league wins in away Nottingham Forest fixture
Similar to West Ham, the home side made a number of new signings in this transfer window, including players such as Nikola Milenkovic and Morato, as well as Hammers transfer target Jota Silva. Moreover, Nuno Espirito Santo's side also reached an agreement with West Ham to sign 29-year-old midfielder James Ward-Prowse on a season-long loan move.
Nottingham Forest started their league fixture with a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, but have since gone on to become one of the most improved Premier League teams this season. Nuno's side have registered four wins alongside four draws in the ongoing campaign, with only one defeat, which came in a home fixture against Fulham.
Forest also took a memorable 1-0 win against Arne Slot's Liverpool at Anfield last month, alongside playing a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at home. Last season, Forest took a 2-0 home win against West Ham towards the end of the season, and the Hammers also won their home fixture against Nottingham Forest previously in a thrilling 3-2 game.
However, James Ward-Prowse, who was the Man of the Match for West Ham in that win with two assists, will now play for Nuno's side as he faces the Hammers for the first time since his departure on a loan move a few months ago. Although the box-to-box midfielder took a red card against Chelsea, Ward-Prowse can play in this match as he received two yellow cards instead of a straight red card and thus was given a one-match suspension for the Crystal Palace match.
One of the biggest strengths for the home side is their defense, as Nottingham Forest have conceded the second-fewest goals in the Premier League after Liverpool. On top of that, Nuno's side has registered three clean sheets in the league with a rock-solid center-back partnership of Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo.
In terms of the attack, both West Ham and Nottingham Forest have been decent so far, with the home side having in-form striker Chris Wood, who has scored seven goals in the Premier League. Further, Wood has found the back of the net in the previous three consecutive matches against Chelsea, Crystal Palace, and Leicester City; hence, West Ham will rely on their defense to keep Wood from continuing his goalscoring form against Julen Lopetegui's side.
On the other hand, Jarrod Bowen has been West Ham's most consistent forward in their ongoing league campaign with goal contributions and will have to play a key role against Nuno's high-flying Nottingham Forest. Alongside Bowen, Cryscencio Summerville is expected to start in the front three and build on his impressive match-winning display against Manchester United.
A few lineup changes are expected for West Ham as manager Julen Lopetegui could drop Lucas Paqueta in this match, and it remains to be seen whether the Hammers can take consecutive Premier League wins for the first time this season.