Forest in Europe? Should their fans start to dream?
Nottingham Forest 3 - 0 West Ham United
Chris Wood continued his fantastic start to the season as Nottingham Forest claimed victory over West Ham in Saturday’s Premier League clash.
Author - Craig H from GMCR Football
Forest entered the match as one of the Premier League’s standout teams. They have picked up an impressive 16 points from their first nine games, including results against both Liverpool and Chelsea.
Wood’s form has been crucial to Forest’s strong run, and it was his close-range header that put the home side ahead at the City Ground.
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui deployed three centre-backs in an attempt to keep the New Zealand international in check, but Wood found himself unmarked and calmly nodded in Alex Moreno’s cross from six yards out, bringing his season’s goal tally to eight.
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The visitors struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, and their challenge became even tougher just before half-time, as Edson Alvarez received a second yellow card for a reckless tackle on Anthony Elanga.
West Ham showed improvement after the break, but Callum Hudson-Odoi doubled Forest’s lead when his cross unexpectedly drifted in at the far post, evading Lukasz Fabianski.
Nuno Espirito Santo's men appeared content to see out the result, but Ola Aina added a stunning third goal, rifling a shot into the top corner from the edge of the box, sparking wild celebrations at the City Ground.
West Ham’s day could have gone even worse had it not been for Fabianski’s two superb late saves, along with the offside flag ruling out Ryan Yates’ close-range effort.
The win marks Forest’s third consecutive Premier League victory – their first such streak since May 1999. This result lifts them up to third in the table, a point above Arsenal and six points behind league leaders Liverpool.
Problems continue for West Ham United
Meanwhile, the pressure mounts on Lopetegui, as his side drop to 14th with just 11 points from 10 games. A victory against Manchester United last weekend did ease some of this pressure. However, after another poor performance from this team, he will likely feel the pressure once again.
They appeared to be second best throughout the match at the City Ground and have no complaints about the defeat The fight and energy that had helped them secure a win against United wasn't there against Forest.
With more challenging matches against Newcastle and Arsenal approaching this month, the West Ham boss really needs a strong response from his players.
