The Matchday 37 Premier League clash between West Ham and Nottingham Forest will take place on May 18 at the London Stadium. West Ham vs. Nottingham Forest: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
West Ham
The Londoners had gone eight Premier League matches without a win, suffering four defeats and drawing four times. In the last round, Graham Potter's side ended this run with a 2-0 away victory over Manchester United. The club has risen to 15th place in the standings, but they cannot climb higher than 13th.
- No more than two goals have been scored in 9 of West Ham's last 12 Premier League games.
- Both teams scored in 5 of the Londoners' last 6 league matches.
- The club failed to score in the first half in 8 of their last 11 home Premier League matches.
Predicted lineup for West Ham (5-4-1)
Alphonse Areola – Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo, Vladimir Coufal, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Aaron Cresswell – James Ward-Prowse, Tomas Soucek, Guido Rodriguez, Mohammed Kudus – Jarrod Bowen.
Nottingham Forest
The club has secured European competition participation for the first time in 29 years. However, the team can still qualify for the Champions League. Yet, Nottingham's chances of finishing in the top 5 have significantly decreased. Nuno Espirito Santo's side spent a long time in third place in the standings, but in the last three rounds, they lost to Brentford (0-2), and drew with Crystal Palace (1-1) and Leicester (2-2). As a result, the team dropped to seventh place, but they are only one point behind the Champions League zone.
- No more than three goals have been scored in 6 of Nottingham Forest's last 7 Premier League games.
- In the last six Premier League matches, the club has secured only one victory (2 draws and 3 defeats).
- At least two goals have been scored in the first half in 6 of Nottingham's last 8 away league matches.
Predicted lineup for Nottingham Forest (4-4-2)
Matz Sels – Ola Aina, Morato, Nikola Milenkovic, Neco Williams – Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Nicolas Dominguez, Ibrahim Sangare – Anthony Elanga, Chris Wood.
Forwards Callum Hudson-Odoi and Taiwo Awoniyi, as well as defender Murillo, are out due to injuries.
Referee
Sam Barrott (England)
Matches – 22 (Premier League, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 97;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.4;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 18%.
Match Prediction: West Ham vs. Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest needs to pull out of the slump they entered in early April. The club was once among the contenders for a Champions League spot but failed to meet the expectations of fans and management. After the setback against Leicester, the head coach and players had a serious conversation with the club owner, so Nottingham Forest will be fully focused for the upcoming match.
West Ham has no tournament motivation. The victory over Manchester United in the last round should not be taken too seriously, as United has shifted focus entirely to the Europa League. In the first round, Nottingham thrashed the Londoners 3-0 at their arena. It's unlikely they will repeat the same result, but Nuno Espirito Santo's side will be satisfied with a narrow victory, which will allow them to return to the top 5.
My prediction – Nottingham Forest to win
