Nottingham Forest are the form side going into this weekend’s game against West Ham United, and Paul Merson has made his prediction.
Nuno Espirito Santo doesn’t care who Nottingham Forest plays, as he’s made a habit of producing results with his tactical brilliance this season.
Despite missing a few games, Nuno has been nominated for Manager of the Month, with Forest winning over Crystal Palace and Leicester, as well as drawing with Chelsea.
Chris Wood and Matz Sels are also up for the Player of the Month award, which is simply a recognition for their performances thus far this season.
Forest is on the right track, but their next game is against West Ham United. The Hammers come into this game after sacking Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.
Paul Merson’s prediction for Nottingham Forest vs. West Ham United
Last time Leicester City and Nottingham Forest met, Paul Merson predicted a draw, which did not come to fruition.
Chris Wood’s second-half brace thwarted Steve Cooper’s chances of pulling one over on his former club after departing the City Ground last year.
Now it’s time for Julen Lopetegui and his West Ham team to head to the City Ground in a battle between two former Wolverhampton Wanderers managers.
Interestingly, in his Sportskeeda blog, Merson predicts a 2-1 win for Nottingham Forest, believing that our present form will be too much for the Hammers.
“Nottingham Forest are soaring at the moment, but they are a far superior team away from home. You must play West Ham at the proper time if you want to win.
“They performed well against Manchester United the other day. You may call them lucky, but they deserved to win in the end.
“If Forest wins this game, they could be much closer to safety. They’re already at 16 points, and given how things have gone this season, 30 points may just be enough for clubs to stay in their division.
“I have a feeling West Ham are still not firing on all cylinders at the moment and that’s why I’m backing Forest to win the game.”
The contributions of Taiwo Awoniyi and Chris Wood this season at Nottingham Forest
Chris Wood has seized the lead position for Nottingham Forest this season, scoring seven goals in nine games as the go-to guy at the top of the assault.
Taiwo Awoniyi has struggled to affect the game when called upon, which many believe is due to the injuries he has had.
Lewis McGugan sees a positive in the scenario, believing that an in-form Chris Wood can relieve Awoniyi’s pressure and allow him to recover completely.
The January transfer window is quickly approaching, and it will be interesting to see if Nuno Espirito Santo goes after another striker, as Santiago Gimenez was a target in the summer.
