At risk of back-to-back humiliations against former clubs, ex-Wolves and Forest head coach Santo faces mounting pressure ahead of Tuesday’s Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest.
The Hammers arrive on the back of a disastrous 3-0 defeat at Molineux, with their basement woes compounded by a nine-game winless streak and a staggering 26-game run without a clean sheet. West Ham United have already posted on their X handle, signalling focus:
Up next: Nottingham Forest
Forest, meanwhile, are seeking to end a four-game losing streak on the road, having been beaten by Aston Villa, Everton, and Manchester City in recent outings.
Despite the festive slump, Sean Dyche’s side will take confidence from their prior three consecutive wins against the Irons, including a 2-1 success at the London Stadium in May.
West Ham’s defensive fragility has been evident in recent weeks, highlighted in their error-strewn 2–2 draw with Brighton and Georginio Rutter’s late strike to rescue a point , signaling opportunities for Forest to exploit.
Team News
Team news shows West Ham without El Hadji Malick Diouf and Aaron Wan-Bissaka due to AFCON duty, while Lucas Paqueta and Jean-Clair Todibo are assessed for fitness.
Tomas Soucek is expected to return after a half-time withdrawal against Wolves. Nottingham Forest could see Matz Sels replace injured Victor in goal, with Callum Hudson-Odoi touch-and-go, and Chris Wood, Ryan Yates, Willy Boly, and Ibrahim Sangare all unavailable.
Possible lineups:
West Ham: Areola; Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Julio, Scarles; Soucek, Potts; Bowen, Fernandes, Summerville; Wilson
Forest: Sels; Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Dominguez; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus
Softfootball Prediction
Nottingham Forest 2-1 West Ham. With the hosts struggling defensively and lacking identity, the Tricky Trees should exploit gaps at the back to return to winning ways, leaving Santo’s position hanging by a thread.
