Will Nottingham miss out on the Champions League places for good?

On the 37th matchday of the Premier League, West Ham and Nottingham will face each other on Sunday afternoon. The Hammers picked up four points against both Europa League finalists in their last two games and are currently in 15th place. Nottingham, on the other hand, seem to be losing sight of the Champions League and have won only one of their last six Premier League games. The Tricky Trees are currently in seventh place in the table with 62 points.

West Ham United finally secured a win on the last matchday after eight games without a victory – and against EL finalists Manchester United, no less. As Nottingham traditionally struggles at the London Stadium but still wants to secure a CL spot, we are not going for a win bet in our West Ham vs. Nottingham prediction.

Nottingham are now winless in three games and have lost three of their last six. With 62 points, the Reds are three points behind Man City in fourth place and one behind Chelsea and Aston Villa. Nottingham therefore still have to fear losing sight of the Champions League places in the final stretch – Espirito Santo’s team no longer have it in their own hands.

West Ham – Statistics & current form

West Ham United goes into its home game against Nottingham Forest with momentum on its side. After a strong 2-0 away win at Manchester United, the Hammers are looking to win two Premier League games in a row for the first time since February, when they beat Arsenal and Leicester. The statistics also favor the Londoners: West Ham have won five of their six Premier League home games against Forest, with their only defeat coming in January 1997.

West Ham traditionally perform particularly well in their last home game of the season. They are unbeaten (five wins, two draws) since their 4-0 defeat to Liverpool in 2016/17. It is striking that the last three home games have all ended in draws. The last time they had such a run was almost 40 years ago, in April 1985. In our West Ham vs. Nottingham prediction, we could see another draw, as West Ham have drawn either at full time or at half time in their last four home games.

As Nottingham have also failed to win in their last two games, our West Ham vs. Nottingham prediction is that there will be a draw between the two teams, either at half-time or after 90 minutes.

Bowen shines in the Hammers’ attack

Jarrod Bowen is currently a key player in the offense. The attacker has been directly involved in six goals (four goals, two assists) in his last six league appearances and has scored in each of his last three home games. A goal against Forest would see him draw level with Jesse Lingard, who was the last Hammers player to score in four consecutive home games in 2021. West Ham vs. Nottingham betting odds for another goal from the Englishman are around 2.90 at the top bookmakers.

Nottingham – Statistics & current form

Things haven’t been going well for Nottingham Forest lately. The team has won only one of its last six Premier League games (two draws, three losses), dropping from third to seventh in the table. Nevertheless, Forest remains particularly dangerous away from home: nine away wins this season – only Liverpool has been more successful. With another three points, the East Anglians would reach double figures in away wins in a top-flight season for the first time since 1994/95.

Something historic is also possible: with a win against West Ham, Forest could win both league games against the Hammers for the first time since the 1983/84 season. The last time they did so was with a 2-0 win in the first leg. For an away win, West Ham vs. Nottingham odds are 2.55 at betting providers with Paysafecard.

Will Wood return to his old form?

Individually, Chris Wood is causing a stir. The striker has scored more goals against West Ham (eight) than against any other opponent. However, most of these goals (six) came in his first five games – he has only scored twice in his last eight games against the Hammers. The odds for another goal in West Ham vs. Nottingham are around 2.60.

Anthony Elanga has provided plenty of creative moments this season: with ten assists, he is among the league’s best playmakers. In Nottingham Forest’s Premier League history, only Bryan Roy (11 in the 1994/95 season) has provided more assists in a single season.

West Ham – Nottingham Head-to-head / H2H record

West Ham United and Nottingham Forest have faced each other 74 times in various competitions, including 65 Premier League matches, six Championship encounters and three FA Cup games. The head-to-head record is extremely even: Nottingham Forest have won 30 games, West Ham have won 29, and there have been 15 draws. The goal difference is also close, with Nottingham Forest slightly ahead at 115:110.

West Ham – Nottingham Tip

As both teams have scored in Forest’s last eight away games, we expect this to happen again. In addition, both teams have tended to draw regularly recently: West Ham in their last three home games and Nottingham in their last two games. Therefore, we expect another draw either at half-time or at full-time.

One name that is sure to be on the scoresheet in the upcoming game is Chris Wood. The striker has scored more goals against West Ham than against any other opponent (eight). We therefore expect the New Zealander to score again. This could help Forest win both league games against West Ham for the first time since the 1983/84 season.