Nottingham Forest v West Ham United predictions and free betting tips

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Nottingham Forest v West Ham United in the Premier League at the City Ground on Sunday

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Premier League & Main Event, 2pm Sunday

Best bet

West Ham
1pt 10-11 Betfred

Team news

Nottingham Forest
Scott McKenna is a doubt after suffering an injury in training, while Steve Cook and Ryan Yates are still short of fitness.

West Ham
Michail Antonio is likely to be fit to at least make the bench against his former club, although goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski could miss out.

Match preview

The Backstreet Boys were number one the last time the City Ground was preparing to stage a Premier League game.

Plenty of Trentside bedroom walls will have been adorned with pictures of the American heart-throbs but it is the city’s current poster boys who need to be on top when West Ham visit on Sunday in what could be a larger-than-life atmosphere.

After 23 years of waiting to take on the top flight, there’s no doubt Nottingham Forest failed to fire in last Saturday’s season opener at Newcastle.

Steve Cooper’s side lost 2-0 on Tyneside last Saturday and looked exactly what they are - a new team trying to find its identity.

Forest handed debuts to eight of their summer signings and after appearing off the bench on Tyneside, both Orel Mangala and Taiwo Awoniyi may start on Sunday.

The Tricky Trees failed to record a shot on target and Awoniyi’s introduction maybe what’s needed to get the best out of the two players expected to provide most of their side’s creativity this season, Jesse Lingard and Brennan Johnson, the latter of who wasn’t even born when Forest last played at home in the Premier League.

Lingard will fancy himself to make an impact against his former team, who were equally passive in their opener, falling to their own 2-0 defeat to an ominously smooth Manchester City led by Erling Haaland.

To continue the theme, David Moyes was just a year into his managerial career the last time Premier League football was played at the City Ground.

His side froze against City but he has used all of his experience to revitalise a Hammers squad eyeing another European run and a shot at a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Despite their opening weekend woes, they are clear favourites heading into this game, underlining how far they've come in the Scotsman’s second spell in charge.

Moyes will expect a fast start from the hosts but his side’s run to the semi-finals of last season’s Europa League shows they can weather a storm before bursting into life.

They could hand a debut to Maxwel Cornet, while Gianluca Scamacca deserves more minutes after showing some fight against the Citizens.

Regardless, the Londoners have the type of quality and experience which their hosts have not yet shown.

Key stat

West Ham won seven of their ten away games against bottom-half teams last season.

Inside info

Nottingham Forest

Penalty taker Brennan Johnson
Assist ace Jesse Lingard
Set-piece aerial threat Joe Worrall
Card magnet Jack Colback

West Ham

Penalty taker Declan Rice
Assist ace Jarrod Bowen
Set-piece aerial threat Kurt Zouma
Card magnet Declan Rice

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