Despite being a relevant name among Premier League title contenders for a good part of last season, Nottingham Forest finished seventh in the top flight.
With several new signings this summer, Forest went undefeated in their first two Premier League games of the 2025/26 campaign, and now, they are set to host West Ham United next at the City Ground on August 31.
West Ham, meanwhile, are yet to bag their first victory of the season, after losing 3-0 to Sunderland in their opening league fixture followed by a 5-1 defeat against Chelsea. The Hammers were also eliminated from the EFL Cup following a 3-2 loss against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the second round of the knockout competition.
Forest and West Ham have faced each other on 14 occasions in the Premier League, with the former managing five victories, while the Hammers have taken four wins.
Nottingham Forest vs. West Ham United lineups: Starting XI, team news
Forest have only one outstanding injury in their squad, Nicolas Dominguez, who suffered a knee injury in May.
Nuno Espirito Santo continues with the unchanged XI he has put out for the past two weeks.
Nottingham Forest starting XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Sels (GK) — Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams — Sangare, Anderson — Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi — Wood
Injured: Dominguez (knee)
Suspended: None
West Ham hand a debut to new signing Matheus Fernandes, whose £40 million ($53.8m) transfer from Southampton was completed in time for him to be registered for this game.
Lucas Paqueta starts despite reported interest from Aston Villa.
They have two absentees in the backline: Crysencio Summerville, who suffered a hamstring injury at the beginning of the year, and Luis Guilherme, who sustained a shoulder injury earlier this month.
West Ham United starting XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Hermansen (GK) — Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Diouf — Ward-Prowse, Soucek — Bowen, Fernandes, Paqueta — Fullkrug
Injured: Summerville (hamstring), Guilherme (shoulder), Earthy (knock)
Suspended: None
Nottingham Forest vs. West Ham United match details
- Date: Sunday, August 31, 2025
- Kickoff time: 2 p.m. local / 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT
- Location: City Ground, Nottinghamshire (England)
- Competition: Premier League
- Referee: Craig Pawson
- VAR: Craig Taylor
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