Nottingham Forest vs West Ham preview, team news and predicted lineup

Nottingham Forest and West Ham United have experienced very different starts to the 2025-26 Premier League season. Nuno Espirito Santo’s Forest are aiming to build on last season’s impressive seventh-place finish, while West Ham already appear to be facing another relegation struggle.

The Garibaldis began their campaign with a 3-1 win over Brentford and then earned a point with a 1-1 comeback draw at Crystal Palace, thanks to Callum Hudson-Odoi’s goal just before the hour. In contrast, Graham Potter’s West Ham have lost all three of their matches so far, including a dispiriting 3-0 defeat to newly promoted Sunderland on opening day and a narrow 3-2 EFL Cup loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday.

Nuno Espirito Santo has named an unchanged starting XI, sticking with what he currently considers his strongest lineup. Recent signings James McAtee, Arnaud Kalimuendo, and Omari Hutchinson—all attacking players—may become more involved as they settle in, but for now, the established back five remains secure. Summerville is still sidelined but is nearing a return; he could come into contention if Fullkrug or Paqueta fail to make an impact. There are no significant new injuries or team updates for the Hammers.

Despite suffering a 3-0 defeat to newly promoted Sunderland, the back five is expected to stay the same. The main selection questions for Potter are in midfield. Youngster Potts impressed during pre-season and could be pushing for a spot, especially after Ward-Prowse’s underwhelming performance in Gameweek 1. While the entire West Ham midfield struggled, it’s unlikely that Paqueta would be dropped for Potts; Ward-Prowse is the more probable candidate. However, unless there’s a clear indication from Potter, it’s safer to assume the midfield will remain unchanged for Chelsea.

Nottingham Forest: Sels; Aina, Murillo, Milenkovic, William; Sangare, Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Choi; Wood

West Ham: Hermansen; Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd; Wan-Bissaka, Rodriguez, Soucek, Diouf; Bowen, Paqueta; Fullkrug

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