West Ham United host a high-stakes “relegation six-pointer” at the London Stadium on Tuesday night as manager Nuno Espírito Santo faces his former employers in a match that could define his future in East London.
West Ham sit 18th in the table, four points adrift of safety, following a demoralising 3-0 defeat to Wolves—a result the Portuguese manager described as “embarrassing”. The Hammers are now winless in their last nine Premier League games. They face a Nottingham Forest side also in a tailspin; despite sitting one place above the drop zone, Sean Dyche’s men have lost four consecutive league matches, most recently a 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa.
While the Hammers have struggled significantly at home in 2025, they will be desperate to use this fixture to ignite a survival charge. With new signings potentially available and the possibility of key creative figures returning, this Tuesday night clash represents a pivotal moment for both clubs in their fight against the drop.
West Ham United vs Nottingham Forest – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Tuesday, 6 January 2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
- Venue: London Stadium, London
- Referee: Tony Harrington
- VAR: Neil Davies
- Last Meeting: Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham, 31 August 2025, Premier League
Team News
West Ham United
The Hammers could hand immediate debuts to January signings Taty Castellanos and Pablo Felipe as Nuno attempts to “rebalance” a struggling squad. There is also hope that Lucas Paquetá (back) and Jean-Clair Todibo (groin) could return, though both require late assessments. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf remain unavailable due to the Africa Cup of Nations, while veteran goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański is sidelined with a back injury.
Nottingham Forest
Sean Dyche is expected to restore Matz Sels to the starting XI after John Victor suffered a calf injury and left the pitch in tears following an error against Villa. Callum Hudson-Odoi (knock) and Dan Ndoye (calf) are both considered “touch-and-go” for Tuesday. Forest are heavily depleted by AFCON, missing Willy Boly and Ibrahim Sangaré, while Chris Wood (knee) and Ryan Yates (thigh) remain in the treatment room. Arnaud Kalimuendo is also expected to be absent as he nears a move to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Form
West Ham United
West Ham failed to register a single shot on target in their weekend loss to Wolves; it was the third time they have done so this season, a league high. The Hammers lost 11 home league games in 2025—their joint-most in a calendar year—and have already conceded 23 goals at the London Stadium this season. Furthermore, West Ham are winless in their last eight Premier League matches with a kick-off of 7:00 PM or later.
Nottingham Forest
Since Forest’s 2022 return to the top flight, nine of the 11 goals they have conceded against West Ham have come in the final 20 minutes, including each of the last five in the final 10 minutes. Despite being clear of the drop zone for now, their four-match losing streak has seen them plummet down the table, and they recently moved to a shared 1-1 draw with title-chasers Manchester City last month.
Predicted Lineups
West Ham United predicted XI: Areola; Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Julio, Scarles; Souček, Potts; Bowen, Fernandes, Summerville; Wilson
Nottingham Forest predicted XI: Sels; Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Dominguez; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus
How to watch West Ham vs Nottingham Forest?
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. Coverage begins at 19:30 GMT on Tuesday night.
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