Billy Munday 

West Ham 1-2 Nottingham Forest: Premier League – at it happened

Nottingham Forest moved seven points clear of West Ham and the relegation zone thanks to Morgan Gibbs-White’s late penalty
  
  

Morgan Gibbs-White scores a late penalty as Forest lead West Ham.
Morgan Gibbs-White scores a late penalty as Forest lead West Ham. Photograph: Tony O Brien/Reuters

That’ll do from me tonight. Here’s Jacob Steinberg’s report from the London Stadium:

Nuno speaks to TV: “We did enough good things to win the match today.”

On the penalty: “It happens so many times during the matches that you get confused about the rules. I cannot quite understand. He goes for the ball and he cannot stop his movement. Hard thing to explain.”

On relegation: “We keep believing. It’s not over yet. I’ll keep on going, keep on believing. This is part of the game sometimes. We have to be resilient enough to understand the situation. We have to be in this together.”

The table: A bigger gap between 17th and 18th

Pos Team P GD Pts
16 Leeds 20 -7 22
17 Nottm Forest 21 -13 21
18 West Ham 21 -21 14
19 Burnley 20 -19 12
20 Wolverhampton 20 -26 6

“It’s so tough for us because we know where we are [in the table],” says West Ham’s Tomas Soucek.

“It got us down,” he says of Summerville’s disallowed goal and Dominguez’s equaliser. “It was tough for us. Nottingham had all the joy in that moment.”

“For me, it’s a joke,” he says of the penalty decision. “We could have 20 penalties a game like this. I came to the Premier League because it’s the toughest league in the world. This, it’s like basketball – [it’s a foul] because he touched the player.”

On possible relegation, he says: “I will still believe until the end but we are in a very bad position.”

“Weren’t a nice game,” Morgan Gibbs-White starts his TV interview. He says the Summerville disallowed goal changed the momentum of the game.

On winning the penalty he says: “I just got whacked in the face and I didn’t have a clue what was going on. Couldn’t breathe. I came to my senses when he said it was a penalty.”

From having a second goal disallowed to being pegged back at 1-1 – how important will that couple of minutes in the second half be for both teams come the end of the season?

It’s relief for Dyche and Forest, who always looked like they had the quality to win this game but often looked vulnerable at the back. Dominguez’s equaliser, a looping header from a corner, came at the perfect time and Gibbs-White oozed coolness as he kept his nerve with the late penalty.

Some West Ham players are down on their haunches. Mavropanos sits on the ball and looks ruefully into the distance as the rain continues to teem down. It’s a miserable result for them, a 10th game in a row without a win. There’s still just less than half the season remaining but tonight will be among their best opportunities to close the gap to safety.

FULL TIME: West Ham 1-2 Nottingham Forest

Morgan Gibbs-White’s late penalty wins all three points for Sean Dyche’s side – the gap is now seven between West Ham and Premier League safety.

90+6 min: Williams does wonders for Forest by charging down the left wing. Mavropanos takes the bait and brings him down, at the cost of a yellow card.

90+5 min: Forest win another free-kick in their own half as Gibbs-White goes down under a challenge. Textbook.

90+4 min: Forest get a free-kick in their own box after Williams gets an arm across the face from Walker-Peters.

90+3 min: Three centre-backs on for Forest now. West Ham look a bit lost for ideas.

90+2 min: Dyche runs down the clock by replacing Bakwa with Morato. The sub is subbed.

90+1 min: Williams intervenes at a Summerville cross before it can reach Pablo at the back post.

90 min: Sean Dyche points to his head and tries to calm his players down. Some West Ham fans head for the exits. There will be seven minutes added.

GOAL! West Ham 1-2 Nottingham Forest (Gibbs-White 89pen)

Straight down the middle! Areola dives to his right and Gibbs-White slots it into the space he has vacated.

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Gibbs-White will take. This is a massive moment for both clubs.

PENALTY TO NOTTINGHAM FOREST

Tony Harrington points to the spot for what he describes as a “foul” by Areola on Gibbs-White.

It’s not good news for West Ham. There will be an onfield review. The evidence is pretty damning for Areola, who punches Gibbs-White right in the face.

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85 min: Anderson swings a teasing ball to the far post and Soucek heads away. Areola also comes out to punch but connects only with Gibbs-White’s face. VAR are checking for a penalty …

84 min: Pablo treads on Williams and Forest get a free-kick to the left of the penalty area. Anderson will take …

82 min: Big block from Murillo! Just as Bowen is about to pull the trigger in the box, the Brazilian comes in to prod the ball out for a corner. Bowen then tries a chest-and-volley from the corner and it dribbles wide of the near post.

80 min: Potts comes on in place of Fernandes for the last 10 minutes plus stoppage time.

79 min: Potts is preparing to come on for West Ham, who are enjoying a decent spell of pressure.

77 min: West Ham go close! Walker-Peters plays a one-two with Pablo and shoots across goal. Sels saves well and Castellanos can’t turn it in.

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75 min: Soucek lifts the ball down West Ham’s right channel and Bowen directs it across the six-yard box where Aina is waiting to hook it out for a corner. Bowen takes and it comes off Soucek for a goal-kick.

73 min: Hudson-Odoi picks out Dominguez in the D and his low shot is accurate but Areola gathers before it finds the bottom corner.

72 min: Pablo sees his name up in lights as he dispossesses Anderson, enters the area and hits a shot that flies high and wide of the far post. Definitely an opportunity.

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71 min: Castellanos looses out to Murillo on halfway and the defender sets off, bumping off a couple of challenges before sending a wayward ball forward. He’s fun to watch in full flow, that’s for sure.

70 min: Nuno has been booked for contesting that decision a bit too vehemently.

69 min: Bowen fronts up Williams, trying to create room for the shot. When it comes, Williams slides to block it. Summerville goes down on the edge of the box as Anderson was chasing him but the referee gives nothing.

67 min: Forest waste another free-kick in a crossing position. The momentum is still in their favour for the moment.

65 min: West Ham make a bit of a meal of defending the corner as one defender heads against another but Areola picks up the pieces. Pablo, another new signing, is playing behind Castellanos in attack.

64 min: Anderson floats a free-kick into the box and Todibo heads it behind for another Forest corner …

63 min: Castellanos breaks loose for West Ham but runs into Williams … quite literally. West Ham make two changes: Paquetá is replaced by Pablo and Scarles by 18-year-old Mayers.

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62 min: Still Forest come. Mavropanos gets a vital head to Anderson’s inviting cross that stops it reaching Igor Jesus in behind him.

61 min: Todibo goes into the book for a reckless slide on halfway that sends Igor Jesus up in the air.

60 min: More questions over the West Ham disallowed goal as replays show that Milenkovic made a tackle on Summerville as the ball was played to the offside Castellanos and may have got the last touch.

59 min: The tables have turned big time. Scarles concedes a corner, which Hudson-Odoi will take but the referee gives a free-kick to West Ham.

58 min: Murillo heads at Areola! Nervy times for West Ham. Murillo stays forward from a previous free-kick and heads a cross down into the grasp of Areola.

57 min: The away end is in full voice now. The rest of the ground is stunned a bit. From 2-0 up to 1-1 in the space of a couple of minutes. Now it’s about how West Ham respond.

GOAL! West Ham 1-1 Nottingham Forest (Dominguez 55)

What a kick in the teeth for West Ham! After the disallowed goal, Forest win a corner through Williams’ blocked shot. Anderson whips it into the near post, Dominguez flicks it on and it loops right over into the far corner!

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54 min: It wasn’t that close either. Castellanos made his run too early and was coming back.

GOAL DISALLOWED

VAR reveals that Castellanos was offside from Summerville’s initial pass out wide and the goal is chalked off.

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Summerville scores for West Ham!

Another massive goal for West Ham! Summerville leads a breakaway and Castellanos switches it to Walker-Peters. The full-back comes inside and has a swing with his left foot. It’s blocked into Summerville’s path, the ball sits up nicely and he hits it hard and low through a crowd of bodies and into the corner. It might take a nick off Castellanos.

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50 min: Williams takes a tumble after being bumped by Soucek in the area. Dominguez prods the ball goalwards and it comes off Soucek and goes behind. VAR checks for handball off Soucek and says no penalty. Somehow Forest did not get a corner.

48 min: Bowen shoots over! Summerville feeds the ball into the West Ham captain and he thumps it high and wide of the near side of the goal – but not by much.

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47 min: Paquetá pulls off a lovely spin in midfield to set West Ham up for an attack which they eventually retreat from. They come back for more but Scarles’s bouncing cross is easily dealt with.

SECOND HALF BEGINS

Forest have made one change at the break: Bakwa for Hutchinson. One winger for another.

“Greetings from the london stadium Billy,” writes Ian. “Literally 10 empty seats next to us in block 201. We had bigger attendances for dead rubber conference games against sides from Azerbaijan.”

Those that have turned up have been rewarded thus far.

HALF-TIME: West Ham 1-0 Nottingham Forest

A Domínguez cross is cleared to safety and there’s the whistle. West Ham lead thanks to Murillo’s own goal after Soucek had flicked on Summerville’s corner. Nuno will be pretty pleased with their defensive showing but you get the feeling that Forest will put them under substantial pressure if they continue to sit back in the second half.

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One minute added.

45 min: Areola gathers the corner, pushes his team up and launches the ball towards Bowen. It runs out for a Forest throw in their own half.

44 min: Igor Jesus runs the channels once more but is dispossessed. It’s just not coming off for him at the moment. Aina has a cross blocked and Forest have a corner.

42 min: Hudson-Odoi hits the bar! He drifts in on his right foot and bends one towards the far top corner and it bounces off the crossbar and behind. Areola was nowhere near it.

41 min: Fernandes wins the ball back and combines with Bowen through the middle but his pass off to the right isn’t weighted right. Bowen slides a ball into the box but it’s cut out.

39 min: West Ham are happy just to keep Forest at arm’s length at the moment. They’re seeing little of the ball in the Forest half.

37 min: A bright move from Forest sees Igor Jesus flick the ball into Hutchinson’s path but West Ham close the door before he can get a shot off. Castellanos then leaves Milenkovic on the deck and Forest get a free-kick.

35 min: Walker-Peters is pulled up for a foul throw having stolen one too many yards. It’s all a bit scrappy at the moment.

34 min: Mavropanos takes the free-kick down on the left, sets it back for Scarles but his delivery is headed away. The rain is coming down a fair bit now.

33 min: There are a few worried looks in West Ham colours as Fernandes goes down but he picks himself up to launch a free-kick into the box …

31 min: Despite that miscue, Castellanos has made a good impression in his first half an hour as a West Ham player. He’s certainly not hidden and has chased everything down. More than once the fans have applauded his pressure from the front.

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29 min: Walker-Peters sends an outswinging cross into the box. Summerville jumps and misses, leaving the ball to fall to Castellanos whose volley is poor and drifts away from danger. A decent chance.

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28 min: Anderson loses it on halfway and Castellanos carries it into the Forest half. He tries to play in Summerville through the middle but the pass is too heavy.

27 min: The ball comes out to Fernandes but his shot from the edge of the box is blocked. Sels then comes to claim a cross that was searching for Castellanos at the back post.

26 min: West Ham look dangerous going forward and pretty sturdy at the back, which will be a relief to Nuno and their supporters. Bowen forces a corner off Murillo.

24 min: Forest come forward again with Williams. Hudson-Odoi’s ball into the box is poor but Williams’ is better and finds Igor Jesus at the back post. The Brazilian’s shot is blocked.

22 min: Murillo sprays a ball out to Aina on the Forest right but Scarles and Todibo do well to stop things going any further. Hudson-Odoi then shanks a shot high and wide.

20 min: Walker-Peters sends Bowen down the right and his cross almost finds Castellanos. The West Ham fans then howl as nobody is there to tap in Walker-Peters’ excellent ball into the middle. Forest hang a couple of crosses into the box too but West Ham hold firm.

18 min: Paquetá and Castellanos combine on a West Ham break, allowing Summerville to drive through the middle of the Forest team. A couple of defenders sandwich him before he can get a clean strike away.

17 min: Forest try to establish themselves in the West Ham half but there is frustration as Igor Jesus comes short and does little with it. Not like a Dyche team to lack a focal point up top.

A huge goal for West Ham. Not pretty but they created their own luck with Summerville’s excellent delivery and Soucek’s vital flick-on. Murillo couldn’t do much about it.

GOAL! West Ham 1-0 Nottingham Forest (Murillo 13og)

It’s gone in! Summerville whips the corner to the near post, Soucek flicks it on and Murillo glances it past his own goalkeeper.

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13 min: Hutchinson tries a Cruyff turn near his own corner flag but Scarles pokes the ball off the winger for a corner to West Ham …

11 min: Areola comes out to punch the corner away and Williams skews the follow-up wide.

10 min: What a save! Williams unleashes an arcing effort from the edge of the area and Areola sticks out a hand to stop it going in the top corner. Great strike but top goalkeeping.

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8 min: Aina launches a long throw towards the D but it doesn’t threaten. The right-back is starting for a second time in a row since returning from a hamstring injury.

6 min: Castellanos shows for a Scarles throw and he lets the ball run to Summerville, who reaches the edge of the box and fires at Sels. Not the worst effort.

5 min: Some nice one-touch play gets the West Ham supporters off their feet. There are plenty of white empty seats around the London Stadium.

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3 min: Summerville’s corner is headed away at the near post. Scarles pings the ball back into his own half where Fernandes collects.

2 min: Forest start brightly but the first opening is West Ham’s. Summerville breaks and feeds the ball into Castellanos’s path. Anderson gets back and concedes the corner.

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KICK-OFF

West Ham get the ball rolling!

The teams are on their way out of the London Stadium tunnel. It’s slightly above freezing and rain, probably not snow, is forecast a bit later this evening. Kick-off is next.

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Transfer window: While we wait for kick-off, why not have a look at the latest deals from across the men’s and women’s games with our sharp interactives:

A quick look at Taty Castellanos, who starts up front for West Ham.

  • Position: Striker

  • Age: 27

  • Country: Argentina (2 caps)

  • This season: Serie A – 11 games, 2 goals, 3 assists

  • Previous clubs: Lazio, Girona, New York City, Montevideo City, Universidad de Chile

Nottingham Forest have lost four in a row under Sean Dyche and are yet to pull away from the relegation battle. The club’s player of the month for December, Ibrahim Sangaré, is still at the Africa Cup of Nations with Côte d’Ivoire.

Dyche wasn’t drawn into the ‘six-pointer’ debate in his pre-match press conference:

It’s an easy line to use. I’ve been in it so many years and we are only just at the halfway point so there is a lot more football to be played either way. It’s very helpful to win this game, quite obviously so that’s the challenge, go and win away from home.

West Ham are without a win in nine games and Nuno is under major scrutiny. His man-management and tactics have led to unrest among the West Ham squad, as Jacob Steinberg reported at the weekend:

Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation have described Nuno as distant and uncommunicative on a day-to-day basis, while it is understood that there is frustration over confusing training methods and team selections. Morale is slipping and what is perceived as a lack of clear communication has left some players feeling that they have no way of forcing their way into the Portuguese’s plans.

The table: Just to underline how important this game is to both sides, this is how the bottom five looks in the Premier League.

Defeat for West Ham tonight and it’s a seven-point gap to safety.

Pos Team P GD Pts
16 Leeds 20 -7 22
17 Nottm Forest 20 -14 18
18 West Ham 20 -20 14
19 Burnley 20 -19 12
20 Wolverhampton 20 -26 6

Callum Wilson is not in the West Ham squad tonight after playing the full 90 minutes against Wolves on Saturday. The 33-year-old striker could be on his way out of the club just five months after joining. Jacob Steinberg has the story:

It is unclear how quickly an agreement will be reached for Wilson to leave West Ham … There are indications the former Newcastle striker’s departure may come towards the end of the transfer window, but is unclear whether as free agent or if West Ham will try to sell him.

Team news: Castellanos starts for West Ham

Taty Castellanos has gone straight into the West Ham team following the completion of his £25m move from Lazio yesterday. Another signing, Pablo Felipe, is on the bench again after making his debut as a substitute on Saturday.

West Ham XI (4-3-3): Areola; Walker-Peters, Todibo, Mavropanos, Scarles; Fernandes, Soucek, Paquetá; Bowen, Castellanos, Summerville.
Subs: Hermansen, Kilman, Pablo, Rodríguez, Magassa, Potts, Earthy, Kanté, Mayers.

Matz Sels replaces John Victor in goal for Nottingham Forest after the Brazilian was injured at the weekend. Callum Hudson-Odoi is fit to start after an achilles injury.

Nottingham Forest XI (4-2-3-1): Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Aina; Domínguez, Anderson; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Igor Jesus.
Sub: Gunn, Morato, Awoniyi, Douglas Luiz, Kalimuendo, McAtee, Bakwa, Savona, Abbott.

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Preamble

After an agonising hiatus of 48 hours, the Premier League is back. That’s right – we kick off Matchweek 21 tonight with what is, even at this stage of the season, a relegation six-pointer between West Ham and Nottingham Forest at the London Stadium.

It’s been a miserable season so far for West Ham and it got a whole lot worse on Saturday with that 3-0 defeat at Wolves. Nuno Espírito Santo is under massive pressure as he faces another one of his former teams tonight in Forest, who he guided into Europe last season.

Sean Dyche is the man in charge at Forest now and the new manager bounce that came after replacing Ange Postecoglou has subsided a bit. They have lost their last four and are four points above West Ham and the relegation zone.

It might not be a classic but it’s sure to be a significant night in the battle for survival. Email in with your thoughts.

Kick-off is at 8pm (GMT). Team news is coming shortly.

 

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