ENGLISH PREMIER BETTING PREVIEW - WEST HAM UNITED VS NOTTINGHAM FOREST

English Premier

2025-05-18 - West Ham United vs Nottingham Forest

A Sports Betting Preview by Auls

West Ham United v Nottingham Forest
Football: English Premier League
Sunday 18th May 2025 - Kick Off 2:15pm
This game is live

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West Ham United

Any time West Ham United win at Old Trafford it should be celebrated, no matter what kind of form the hosts have been in. Graham Potter's team played well in their 0-2 win last Sunday and that has seen them move above both Manchester United and rivals Tottenham Hotspur with two Premier League fixtures to play.

The last game at London Stadium is played in front of the television cameras this weekend with West Ham United in 15th place in the Premier League table. They have a 5-5-8 record at home in the top flight and West Ham United have scored 22 goals and conceded 32 in those matches.

West Ham United had failed to win any of their last 8 Premier League games, losing 4 of those, but snapped the run in the victory over Manchester United last time out. The Hammers have lost 1 of their last 5 home Premier League games, and the last 3 at the London Stadium have all ended in draws against Bournemouth, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur.

The squad that was available last weekend should be ready to go again for Graham Potter.

Nottingham Forest

Qualification for a UEFA run competition was confirmed last Sunday and that is a big achievement for Nottingham Forest, although you would not have guessed it from owner Evangelos Marinakis' reaction at the end of the 2-2 draw with Leicester City. It did feel he was having an angry reaction towards manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who has done a magnificent job in his time at the City Ground, although the club statement have suggested it was just the emotions of the sport at play.

If Nottingham Forest had surged into the top seven, you can imagine that the feeling around the ground at the end of last weekend would have been much different, but fans, and the owner, had begun to dream of Champions League Football. Results have dropped Nottingham Forest into 7th place in the Premier League table, but they will still believe that two wins to conclude the season could be enough for a top five finish. The Tricky Trees have a 9-3-6 away record in the Premier League where they have scored 30 goals and conceded 29.

Nottingham Forest have won 1 of their last 7 games in all competitions and that would have made the 2-2 draw with relegated Leicester City all the more painful. That victory was in London at Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest have lost 1 of their last 5 away games in all competitions, while picking up 4 points from a possible 6 available at Spurs and Crystal Palace.

Murillo is hoping to return for the away team this weekend. The drama at the end of last Sunday's Premier League fixture was surrounding an injury suffered by Taiwo Awoniyi and he has since been ruled out. Callum Hudson-Odoi has been a miss and is set to be absent again.

Head to Head

Nottingham Forest crushed West Ham United 3-0 at home earlier this season.

West Ham United have beaten The Tricky Trees 5 times in a row at home, including scoring a late goal in a 3-2 victory at the London Stadium last season.

Prediction

Games between West Ham United and Nottingham Forest have been pretty high-scoring in recent years and that is especially the case when the fixture has been played in East London.

However, there is a feeling that the tension around this fixture could make this a tighter, more competitive game and one that ends with less than three goals shared out.

The majority of the pressure is on Nottingham Forest as the team have struggled for form and dropped out of the top five in the Premier League standings. All of a sudden the Champions League place that many fans had been dreaming about looks like remaining something that can only be pictured when the eyes closed and it is clear that the frustration about that extends all the way up to the boardroom.

The 2-2 draw with Leicester City is a bitter blow, especially against a rival, but there is still some hope for Nottingham Forest and the only ambition for the team is to make sure they can still earn a top five finish when playing their last game next weekend.

By the time this fixture kicks off, Nottingham Forest will know how Chelsea and Aston Villa have got on and that may just increase the pressure on the visiting team. And that will challenge a group of players that have not been as strong defensively in recent weeks as they have been for much of the season nor one that is not scoring as many goals.

West Ham United might have a bit more confidence after beating Manchester United, but they still have something to prove under Graham Potter.

The home fans have not always been convinced by what they have been seeing under Potter, and 3 draws in a row here have not really inspired. It has been particularly lacking inspiration seeing as the last couple of draws have been with Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur and this is still a work in progress under a relatively new manager.

Jarrod Bowen is scoring goals and will be impressing Thomas Tuchel, the England manager, but overall it has been a struggle for West Ham United and that may be the case again on Sunday.

Nottingham Forest will feel that both Leicester City goals were avoidable last weekend, but visiting East London has not been easy for them and it could be a tense fixture that is played out in front of the television cameras.

The Pick :

West Ham United 1-1 Nottingham Forest

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

I'll back Under 2.5 Goals at 1.91 with Bet365