Premier League: Now it Starts for Forest Fans

Nottingham Forest vs West Ham United

The moment Nottingham Forest fans have been waiting for is almost here. After a 23-year absence from the top-flight, the Reds are back among the elite.

The Premier League tiff between Forest and West Ham is the type of fixture the County Ground faithful were dreaming of as they made their assault on the Championship play-offs last season.

It brings together a top-flight newcomer and a well-established side. It also has a glamorous sound of yesteryear to it and, crucially, it’s a game Forest might just be able to win.

Both teams come into the game on the back of a 2-0 opening day defeat. David Moyes’ Hammers wouldn’t have expected too much from their home game with Manchester City, and they were right not to as Erling Haaland announced himself to the Premier League with a brace.

Meanwhile, Steve Cooper’s Forest had a reality check away to moneybags Newcastle United.       

The Premier League 2022 betting odds reckon the visitors will take all three points away from the City Ground, but it promises to be a fierce battle.      

Did Lingard make the right choice?

Much of the pre-match Premier League 2022 news is centred on the player who performed so well during his loan spell with the Hammers last season.

Unwanted by Manchester United, Jesse Lingard was high on David Moyes’ shopping list and it looked like the attacking midfielder was likely to return to the London Stadium. That was until Nottingham Forest stepped in with an offer the England international found too hard to refuse.

The newly-promoted side have already spent £85-M without attracting too many players with Premier League experience and so the capture of Lingard could be crucial to their survival hopes. He needs to make it work to further his won career too. 

And Cooper hasn’t finished his spending yet.

Forest have apparently renewed their interest in Watford winger Emmanuel Dennis who, along with Ismaila Sarr, is pivotal to the Hornets’ hopes of returning to the Premier League at the first attempt.

Cooper is reported to have tabled a £20-M offer for Dennis and that might be enough to land their man – making it another sound addition as he bagged 10 league goals for Watford last season.          

But despite the club’s impressive spending, Forest are still second favourites to be relegated, odds on at a price of 1.96 with only Bournemouth lower and the Cherries got their campaign off to a winning start with a 2-0 home win over Aston Villa.

That was a priceless three points, particularly as Bournemouth head to the Etihad to face Manchester City this weekend.  

Can Forest now follow their fellow newcomers and get a much-needed win?    

West Ham building around Rice  

After he missed out on Lingard, David Moyes has been working hard to bring more creative muscle into the side.

Having signed Maxwell Cornet (another of Forest’s targets) in a £20-M switch from Burnley, the Hammers have been linked with a big money move for Barcelona’s Memphis Depay and they are also close to signing speedy centre-back Thilo Kehrer from Paris Saint-Germain. 

But the most important business Moyes can do is to keep captain Declan Rice at the club. The 23-year-old has already made 168 appearances for West Ham and 32 for England and he is much admired by the league’s top sides, particularly Chelsea.

Moyes has slapped a £150-M price tag on Rice’s head and he wants to build his team around the young captain. His midfield partner Tomas Soucek was unusually quiet against Manchester City, but if he finds his best form then West Ham can dominate the midfield with creative players Jarrod Bowen, Pablo Fornals, and Cornet able to stretch any defence.  

History

These two teams have met 17 times since 1994 and West Ham have had much the better of the encounters, winning 10, drawing four, and losing three.

But Forest fans would dearly love a repeat of the last time they met at the City Ground when the Championship side dumped West Ham out of the FA Cup with a 5-0 hammering as Jamie Paterson scored a hat-trick.

Both team has had a sparkling pre-season and they both come into the game with one win in six. But West Ham have a slight edge with three draws and two defeats, compared with Nottingham’s two draws and three defeats.       

Betting Tip

I’m sorry to rain on Forest fan’s parade but at a SBOTOP price of 3.73, I just can’t see them beating a side which Moyes has transformed into a top 10 regular and a Europa League semi-finalist.

West Ham, at odds of 1.88, is the most likely outcome. But I believe that while Nottingham will struggle to get the wins, they need to stay up and they will pick up points at home against some very decent sides.

I also think they may well get their campaign up and running with a point on Sunday afternoon.

 

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