More Home Disappointment For Potter

Nottingham Forest may have achieved their first away win against West Ham United since New Year’s Day 1997 after a 2-1 success in Stratford but their fight for a UEFA Champions League place goes down to the final day of the 2024/25 season.

Graham Potter named an unchanged starting line-up following the euphoric success at Manchester United seven days earlier as he looked to steer his side to a first home win since February 27.

Before the match got underway, Aaron Wan-Bissaka was presented with the Hammer of the Year award and it looked as though the positive vibes would continue. The home side might well have been celebrating just two minutes into the contest when Vladimír Coufal and Aaron Cresswell combined to great effect and the Czech defender set up his friend and teammate Tomáš Souček who tried to beat visiting goalkeeper Matz Sels with a header but the Belgian somehow managed to keep the effort out.

Both goalkeepers were in action early on, as home stopper Alphonse Areola made saves from Morgan Gibbs-White, then the Frenchman easily kept out an attempt from Elliot Anderson.

Coufal was desperate to get his first goal for the club but unfortunately, Sels prevented him from doing so, before the action was seen back down the other end and Chris Wood tried his luck with a shot from 20-yards but fortunately for the home faithful, Areola dealt with the danger.

West Ham’s familiar failings were to show themselves again when Areola had the ball at his feet and was going to kick it long but then suddenly changed his mind and attempted a pass to Guido Rodríguez. What he didn’t realise was that Gibbs-White was quick to pounce on his mistake and he duly put the ball past him with ease.

It could have got worse for the Irons just minutes later when captain Jarrod Bowen slid into the post and cut his eye in the process but thankfully after the medical staff had checked him over, he was able to continue.

Wood then went close for the Tricky Trees but his shot hit the bar.

Cresswell was heavily involved in the action for the rest of the first-half, as Mohammed Kudus met his cross but the Ghanaian headed it wide, before the defender had a go at goal himself just seconds later but his shot was blocked by Ibrahim Sangaré.

It wasn’t the first-half that the home players would have hoped for but would they be able to change things after the break?

With the hosts a goal behind, they were determined to find a way back into the contest and started brightly, as Cresswell was again involved but unfortunately, he volleyed wide before Coufal tried to emulate his teammate. Both players may have missed the target but to be fair, the Czech was closer as the ball landed on top of the net.

On fifty eight minutes, Potter made four changes as Edson Álvarez, Niclas Füllkrug, Lucas Paquetá and Carlos Soler all entered the fray to take the places of Cresswell, Rodríguez, Souček and James Ward-Prowse.

Seconds after the changes were made, Nuno Espírito Santo’s side went further in front when they were awarded a free-kick after Jean-Clair Todibo had fouled Anthony Elanga. The Swedish international took responsibility himself and it was diverted past Areola by the slightest of touches from Nikola Milenković. The large screens at either end of the stadium stated that the decision was being checked by VAR for a possible offside and the home fans thought they might be given a reprieve. In the end, not only did they see the outcome go in favour of their opponents, they were even more annoyed at the fact that it took over five minutes for a verdict to be reached.

Despite conceding a second, the changes seemed to spark the home side into life and they started to create meaningful chances but unfortunately, weren’t able to change the scoreline.

Soler then had a shot at goal but Sels was equal to his effort.

Whatever West Ham were trying, it was not coming off despite their relentless pressure. Paquetá searched for a way through but even he was unable to find an opening.

Potter made use of his final change with eleven minutes of normal time left to play, as Kudus was replaced by Luis Guilherme.

The East Londoners did get a consolation goal seven minutes later, as Bowen took control of the ball from a headed clearance and smashed it into the net, leaving Sels with no chance.

Having reduced the arrears, the large home support were given hope of an unlikely comeback and were delighted to see that eleven more minutes had been added. The equaliser nearly arrived too!!! Füllkrug got his header on target but it brought magnificent reactions from Sels.

Just as in the last home game against Tottenham Hotspur tensions amongst the home crowd ran high. However, this time around it was both sets of players getting heated with each other. Referee Sam Barrott completely lost control and a flurry of yellow cards were handed out.

Although the players did a lap of the pitch after the match in order to thank the fans for their continued support over the season, very few were still in their seats by the time this took place and had left just minutes before Barrott blew the final whistle.

West Ham will have to wait until August to get their next home win but they do have the chance to grab their last three points on offer when they bring the curtain down on what you would have to say has been a disappointing 2024/25 campaign when they go to Portman Road to face already-relegated Ipswich Town next Sunday afternoon.