West Ham, Forest meet in midweek relegation battle.
West Ham vs. Nottingham Forest kicks off at 20:00 [GMT] on Tuesday, January 6, at the London Stadium.
West Ham [LLLDL] have a notable historical incentive heading into this match, as they aim to complete their first league double over Nottingham Forest since the 2011–12 Championship campaign. Their first top-flight double against the Midlands club since as far back as 1968–69. The Hammers already secured a victory earlier this season, and another win here would mark a rare achievement against Forest in league competition. West Ham’s home form over the calendar year has been mixed. They lost 11 home league games in 2025, equalling their worst-ever tally in a single year. Despite that, there is a strong trend working in their favor: the Hammers have not lost their first home league match of a calendar year since 2017, when they were beaten by Manchester United. Since then, they have recorded six wins and two draws in such fixtures, a statistic that should give them confidence heading into this contest. Bouncing back to winning ways following Saturday’s 3-0 loss to Wolves remains one of West Ham’s objectives as they look to climb out of the relegation zone. A 4—2—3—1 formation with Callum Wilson in attack is expected against Forest.
Forest sits right above West Ham in 17th place ahead of this midweek relegation battle. Luckily recent form against West Ham offers little encouragement. Nottingham Forest claimed a 2–1 victory in this exact fixture last season, and they will be hoping to build on that success. That said, Forest have not won consecutive away league matches against West Ham since a three-game streak between 1982 and 1984, highlighting how difficult this ground has traditionally been for them. One recurring theme in recent meetings between the two sides has been Nottingham Forest’s vulnerability late in games. Since their return to the Premier League in 2022, nine of the 11 goals Forest have conceded against West Ham have come in the final 20 minutes. Even more telling, each of the last five goals they have shipped in this fixture arrived in the final 10 minutes, suggesting concentration and game management issues when matches enter their decisive stages. In addition, they arrive under pressure, having lost their last four Premier League matches [WLLLL]. A fifth consecutive defeat would be a rare low point, as they last endured such a run between August and October 2022. Igor Jesus is expected at the attacking end of Forest’s 4—2—3—1 setup.