West Ham vs Nottingham Forest

Following an emotionally charged week, Nottingham Forest will play West Ham United in the Premier League on Sunday at the London Stadium in an attempt to maintain their dwindling hopes of playing in the Champions League.

The Irons' resounding 2-0 victory over Manchester United ended their bottom-half struggle, while the Tricky Trees' 2-2 draw with Leicester City last weekend at least guaranteed them a spot on the continent next season.

West Ham should be using the same roster from their victory at Old Trafford, with the exception of Michail Antonio (leg) and Crysencio Summerville (thigh), since there are no new issues following their victory over Manchester United.

After suffering a concerning stomach injury, Awoniyi is reportedly on the mend for Nottingham Forest; nonetheless, the 27-year-old will not play this season and there is no estimated time of return.

Awoniyi and Champions League qualification naturally took up most of Santo's press conference. Neither Murillo nor Callum Hudson-Odoi (both thigh) have received any updates, but the former should have a greater chance of making the squad.

West Ham became the latest team to take advantage of Manchester United’s faltering form, snapping an eight-game winless run at Old Trafford last weekend. The Hammers, fresh from their Europa League final exploits, were aided by a familiar face—former Red Devils defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who played a key role in both of their goals.

Tomas Soucek’s clever flick opened the scoring before Wan-Bissaka set up Jarrod Bowen to secure West Ham’s 10th Premier League win of the season. Graham Potter’s side had been stuck in a frustrating loss-draw pattern for over two months but finally broke free, capitalizing on United’s European fatigue. The victory also lifted them above Ruben Amorim’s side and Tottenham in the lower half of the table.

While 13th place is still within reach, it won’t change much for a West Ham side eager to put a turbulent season behind them. First, they’ll aim to secure back-to-back league wins for only the second time this campaign—a feat they last achieved in February against Arsenal and Leicester. Notably, they haven’t lost their final home game of a season since 2016-17.

Nottingham Forest’s Mixed Fortunes Ahead of Clash

While West Ham won’t be playing European football next season, Nottingham Forest will—though their recent form has been far from celebratory. A dramatic 4-4 draw with relegated Leicester sealed a top-seven finish but also dashed any lingering Champions League hopes. The match was marred by owner Evangelos Marinakis storming the pitch to confront manager Nuno Espírito Santo, reportedly over the decision to keep injured striker Taiwo Awoniyi on the field after a serious collision with the goalpost.

Awoniyi suffered a ruptured intestine, a potentially life-threatening injury, but has thankfully since woken from an induced coma. On the pitch, Forest’s struggles continue—winless in four, with just one victory in their last seven across all competitions. Their top-five hopes now look slim.

However, Forest fans can take solace in recent history: their side has dominated West Ham in their last two Premier League meetings, winning 5-0 on aggregate. A victory this weekend would secure their first league double over the Hammers in 41 years.