Key events
Previously in this fixture
You know what’s coming, don’t you. Phil Parkes knew too, but he couldn’t do owt about it.
In unrelated news, this is quite something
Pre-match reading
Team news
Two changes for Forest from that defeat at Newcastle. Two of their new signings, Orel Mangala and Taiwo Awoniyi come in for Jack Colback and Sam Surridge. That means there are eight new players in the starting XI, including Jesse Lingard, who turned down West Ham to join Forest.
David Moyes makes one change from the West Ham team that ran into Beast at the London Stadium last weekend – Said Benrahma replaces Manuel Lanzini, which should mean Pablo Fornals moving infield to play as the No10.
Ben Johnson continues as an emergency centre-back, and Moyes has name only eight of the possible nine substitutes.
Nottingham Forest (3-4-2-1) Henderson; Worrall, Niakhate, McKenna; Williams, O’Brien, Mangala, Toffolo; Lingard; Johnson, Awoniyi.
Substitutes: Hennessey, Biancone, Cook, Mbe Soh, Surridge, Mighten, Cafu, L Taylor, Hammond.
West Ham (4-2-3-1) Fabianski; Coufal, Zouma, Johnson, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice; Bowen, Fornals, Benrahma; Antonio.
Substitutes: Areola, Randolph, Ashby, Coventry, Downes, Lanzini, Cornet, Scamaca.
Referee Robert Jones.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Nottingham Forest v West Ham United at the City Ground. I’m not saying this is the most romantic fixture of the weekend, but it’s in the top one: Forest’s first home game in the Premier League since 16 May 1999, when Chris Bart-Williams scored the only goal in a futile victory over Leicester City and – cliché alert – Brennan Johnson hadn’t even been conceived.
A helluva lot has changed at Forest since 1999. A helluva lot has changed since May, when they beat Huddersfield in the play-off final. Forest have signed 15 (F-I-F-T-E-etc) players this summer, and there are more to come.
Both these teams started the season with 2-0 defeats – Forest at Newcastle, West Ham at home to Beast – so a win wouldn’t go amiss today. But it’s not all about three points. Premier League football is being played at the City Ground again, and the world feels a slightly saner place.
Kick off 2pm
