West Ham’s fight to climb out of trouble took another heavy blow as Nottingham Forest came from behind to win 2–1 at the London Stadium, a result that felt massive at the bottom end of the Premier League table.
The hosts started with urgency and were rewarded early. From a corner, Tomáš Souček’s flick caused panic in the Forest area and the ball ended up in the net off defender Murillo, giving West Ham a 13th-minute lead and lifting the mood inside the ground.
West Ham had chances to build on that advantage and make the game safer, but a mixture of missed openings and marginal calls kept Forest within touching distance. A second West Ham goal was later disallowed for a tight offside, a moment that became a key turning point as the match swung in the visitors’ favour.
Forest emerged sharper after the break and found their equaliser on 55 minutes. Nicolás Domínguez looped a header beyond the goalkeeper to level the contest, and the momentum visibly shifted. West Ham, already short on confidence, began to look anxious in possession, while Forest grew more direct and purposeful.
The decisive incident arrived late. With the game heading toward a draw, a cross into the West Ham box triggered a scramble and goalkeeper Alphonse Areola attempted to punch clear. In the process, he made contact with Morgan Gibbs-White, and after a VAR check a penalty was awarded. Gibbs-White stepped up and converted in the 89th minute, sparking wild celebrations in the away end and leaving the home crowd furious.
Forest’s win not only ended a poor run of their own, it also widened the gap between the two sides in the lower reaches of the table. For West Ham, it extended a damaging winless streak and intensified the pressure on Nuno Espírito Santo, with frustration growing around both performances and decision-making in critical moments.
On the balance of play, Forest edged several of the key underlying metrics: they had slightly more of the ball, produced more shots on target (5 to 3), and generated the higher expected-goals total. West Ham registered 14 shots overall, but they couldn’t translate those moments into the second goal they badly needed.
In the end, this was a match decided by fine margins and big calls — and it’s Forest who leave with the momentum, while West Ham’s survival task looks even steeper.
The West Ham United head coach expressed frustration at not seeing the game out after taking the lead, admitting his side lacked composure in key moments.
“We started well and did many things right, especially in the first half,” he said. “But in this league you are punished if you don’t stay focused for the full 90 minutes. We had opportunities to put the game away and didn’t take them, and that’s something we have to improve quickly.”
He also acknowledged the pressure building around the club’s league position, adding: “The situation demands more personality and calmness. We know what’s at stake and we know we must be better.”
Forest’s manager struck a far more positive tone, praising his players’ mentality and response after falling behind.
“I really liked the character we showed,” he said. “We stayed calm, we didn’t lose our structure, and in the second half we played with much more courage. The players believed we could get something from the game, and they were rewarded for that belief.”
He added that the point could prove significant as the season develops: “Away from home, in this atmosphere, it’s not easy. Results like this give confidence and show the group is growing.”
