West Ham United takes on Nottingham Forest on Saturday in the latest installment of a series that is about as evenly matched as it gets. The Hammers have 46 wins all-time to Forest’s 45, while the two have split the spoils 26 times.
I wouldn’t exactly call this series a derby, or claim that these two sides are rivals by any means, but they certainly do have some balance, and symmetry, which is definitely one of the most necessary components of the rivalry.
West Ham United vs Nottingham Forest FYIs
Kick-off: Saturday, Feb 25, 3 pm local, London Stadium
West Ham Preview Material: Starting XI Prediction Team News
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
PL Form: Nottingham Forest DLWDW West Ham United LDDWL
PL Standing: Nottingham Forest 13th, 20 pts West Ham United 18th, 20 pts
Google Result Probability: Nottingham Forest victory 20% Draw 26% West Ham United victory 54%
Can David Moyes lead his side to victory and extend the east London club’s advantage in the series? And what exactly what might be the winning formula for doing so?
Here below is what we think the Scotsman should do with his first team selection on the weekend.
West Ham United Starting XI Prediction vs Nottingham Forest
Areola; Ogbonna, Kehrer, Johnson; Coufal, Rice, Soucek, Emerson; Benrahma, Bowen, Ings
Prediction: West Ham 2, Nottingham Forest 1
Look for the Londoners to hold serve at home.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.