Game summary of the West Ham United vs. Nottingham Forest English Premier League game, final score 1-2, from 7 January 2026 on ESPN (IN).
This article highlights Nottingham Forest's crucial 2-1 victory over West Ham United, a result that further jeopardizes West Ham's Premier League survival aspirations. The match saw a late penalty from Morgan Gibbs-White secure the win for Forest, adding significant pressure on West Ham who are struggling in the league standings.
Both West Ham United and Nottingham Forest deployed a 4-2-3-1 tactical formation for the game. West Ham's starting eleven featured Alphonse Areola in goal, with a defensive line including Scarles, Todibo, Mavropanos, and Walker-Peters. The midfield saw Fernandes and Soucek, while Summerville, Paquetá, and Bowen supported Castellanos upfront. Nottingham Forest mirrored this setup with Matz Sels as goalkeeper, Murillo, Milenkovic, Williams, and Aina in defense. The midfield was anchored by Gibbs-White and Domínguez, with Anderson, Igor Jesus, and Hudson-Odoi playing in advanced roles, and Omari Hutchinson leading the attack. Substitutions during the match included Ezra Mayers for Scarles, Pablo for Paquetá, and Freddie Potts for Fernandes for West Ham, while Nottingham Forest brought on Dilane Bakwa for Hutchinson and Morato for Bakwa.
The English Premier League match between West Ham United and Nottingham Forest took place at London Stadium in London, England. The game was played on 7 January 2026, with a kickoff time of 1:30 AM. The officiating for the match was handled by referee Tony Harrington.
The match timeline details the key events of the game chronologically. It began with the kickoff, followed by an own goal from Nottingham Forest's Murillo in the 13th minute, giving West Ham a 1-0 lead. Halftime saw West Ham maintaining their advantage. In the second half, Nottingham Forest made an early substitution in the 45th minute, bringing on Dilane Bakwa. Nicolás Domínguez scored for Forest in the 55th minute, leveling the score at 1-1. West Ham's Jean-Clair Todibo received a yellow card in the 61st minute, followed by two substitutions for West Ham in the 63rd minute (Ezra Mayers for Oliver Scarles and Pablo for Lucas Paquetá). Another West Ham substitution occurred in the 80th minute, with Freddie Potts replacing Mateus Fernandes. Nottingham Forest took the lead in the 89th minute with a penalty goal from Morgan Gibbs-White. Forest made a final substitution in the 90+2 minute. West Ham players Kyle Walker-Peters and Konstantinos Mavropanos received yellow cards in the 90+4 and 90+6 minutes, respectively, before the match concluded with Nottingham Forest winning 2-1 at full time.
The match statistics provide a comparative overview of team performance. Nottingham Forest held a slight edge in possession with 53% compared to West Ham's 47%. Forest also had more shots on goal (5 vs. 3) and slightly fewer shot attempts overall (13 vs. 14). Notably, West Ham United received three yellow cards during the match, while Nottingham Forest received none. West Ham earned 6 corner kicks to Forest's 5. Both goalkeepers, Alphonse Areola for West Ham and Matz Sels for Nottingham Forest, made 3 saves each.
The match commentary provides a play-by-play account of the game. It notes the match's conclusion with Nottingham Forest securing a 2-1 victory over West Ham United. Key moments highlighted include the end of the second half in the 98th minute, confirming Forest's win, and a foul in the 97th minute where Jarrod Bowen of West Ham United won a free kick in the defensive half.
The English Premier League standings section provides a snapshot of the league table. Arsenal leads with 48 points from 20 games. Manchester City and Aston Villa follow closely with 42 points each. The table lists teams by Games Played (GP), Wins (W), Draws (D), Losses (L), Goal Difference (GD), and Points (P). Both West Ham United and Nottingham Forest are highlighted due to their participation in this match. Nottingham Forest currently sits higher with 21 points from 21 games (6 wins, 3 draws, 12 losses), while West Ham United is near the bottom with 14 points from 21 games (3 wins, 5 draws, 13 losses), indicating their struggle against relegation.