Overview
Nottingham Forest have been a pleasant surprise in the Premier League this season. Last season, they had to wait until the final rounds to officially secure their place in the top flight. However, they have surprisingly transformed this season and are currently ranked 7th in the Premier League with 16 points, just 2 points behind the top 4.
In their last 5 games, Nottingham have won 2, drawn 2 and lost 1. One of the highlights that has helped them soar is their solid defense, having only conceded 7 goals this season. Only Liverpool (5 goals) have a better defensive record than Nottingham in the league.
In contrast to Nottingham, the defense is the weak point of The Hammers. They have conceded 16 goals in 9 matches, the worst record in the league. They often suffer heavy defeats such as 1-4 against Tottenham, 1-5 against Liverpool (Carabao Cup) or 0-3 against Chelsea. With the current weak defense, West Ham promises to have a difficult away match.
However, Nottingham's points have largely come from away games, while their performances at the City Ground have been poor, with Nottingham winning just one of their four home games this season.
However, home advantage has been key in this fixture in recent years, with the home side winning all six of the last six meetings between the sides. West Ham won 3-2 in a thrilling encounter in London last season, while Nottingham responded with a 2-0 win at the City Ground.
Human resources situation
Nottingham will hope Wood is fit to lead the line, while captain Morgan Gibbs-White could also return, with James Ward-Prowse ruled out of the clash with his parent club.
On the other side of the front line, Mohamed Kudus is still suspended after his silly red card in the match against Tottenham. Up front, striker Niclas Fullkrug is still not fit enough to play.
Expected lineup:
Nottingham Forest: Sels, Murillo, Moreno, Milenkovic, Aina, Anderson, Hudson-Odoi, Dominguez, Elanga, Yates, Wood.
West Ham: Fabianski, Todibo, Kilman, Wan-Bissaka, Emerson, Soucek, Paqueta, Alvarez, Bowen, Summerville, Antonio.
The match between Nottingham Forest and West Ham takes place at 22:00 on November 2 (Vietnam time).
