Nottingham Forest_vs_West Ham

1. Core Players & Star Quality

Nottingham Forest 

• Core figures: Sels (3420 mins, GK ever-present), Murillo (3191 mins), Milenković (3330 mins, 5G, 2A), Gibbs-White (2825 mins, 7G, 8A), Chris Wood (20G, 3A, 2978 mins). 

• Attacking strength: Wood as primary scorer; Gibbs-White offers creativity (team’s leading assister). Elanga (6G, 11A, 2512 mins) contributed but has now left → big creative gap. 

• Supporting roles: Elanga’s departure reduces wide dynamism, leaving Elanga’s replacement Jota Silva (3G, 1A) to step in. 

West Ham 

• Key leaders: Kilman (3349 mins, defensive anchor), Bowen (13G, 8A, 2980 mins), Kudus (2604 mins, 5G, 3A), Souček (9G, 2573 mins), Paquetá (2385 mins, 4G). 

• Reliability: Wan-Bissaka (3155 mins, 2G, 5A) and Walker-Peters (2922 mins) provide consistency at full-back. 

• Balance: Bowen is the star output, but goals spread across Souček, Kudus, and Füllkrug (3G, 2A in limited minutes). 

2. Departures Impact

Nottingham Forest 

• Anthony Elanga (6G, 11A) leaving is the biggest blow — removes wide chance creation. 

• Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, and Wood remain, but Elanga’s loss forces more reliance on central channels. 

• Sub depth affected: Omari Hutchinson, Jota Silva, and Hudson-Odoi now must shoulder wide play. 

West Ham 

• Kudus is flagged as left, which sharply reduces attacking unpredictability next to Bowen. 

• Todibo also left, weakening CB rotation. 

• Departures + injuries leave Bowen as main creative/goal source. 

3. New Player Integration

Nottingham Forest 

• Key arrivals: Jota Silva (3G, 1A), Álex Moreno (LB, 960 mins), James Ward-Prowse (399 mins, 1A), Sangaré returning. 

• Morato adds defensive options (895 mins). 

• Dan Ndoye (8G, 4A, 2151 mins) is a valuable wide reinforcement, though more of a wing runner than creator. 

West Ham 

• Soler (1407 mins) adds midfield ball progression; Walker-Peters (2922 mins) secured full-back consistency. 

• Füllkrug (3G, 2A in 788 mins) provides striker depth. 

• Summerville (784 mins, 1G, 1A) was adding dynamism but is now injured. 

4. Assists & Goals Output

Nottingham Forest 

• Wood (20G, 3A) = main finisher. 

• Gibbs-White (7G, 8A) = primary creator. 

• Elanga (6G, 11A) now gone → attack loses its most balanced threat. 

• Elanga’s absence leaves heavy responsibility on Wood + Gibbs-White. 

West Ham 

• Bowen (13G, 8A) → central to their attack. 

• Souček (9G), Paquetá (4G), Kudus (5G, 3A — but marked as left) show secondary support. 

• Füllkrug shows signs of being a strong rotational scorer. 

• Attacking output is more distributed than Forest, but over-reliant on Bowen when Kudus is absent. 

5. Substitutes’ Experience & Depth

Nottingham Forest 

• Subs like Hutchinson (2594 mins, 3G, 2A), Jota Silva (842 mins, 3G, 1A), Awoniyi (402 mins, 1G). 

• Moreno, Morato, and Sangaré improve defensive cover. 

• Depth weakened by Elanga’s departure — fewer high-impact attacking subs. 

West Ham 

• Bench includes experienced players: Antonio (845 mins), Cresswell (824 mins), Fabianski (1161 mins), Füllkrug (3G, 2A). 

• Summerville (injured), Cornet (unused), Marshall (youth). 

• More reliable late-game impact than Forest. 

6. Forecast & Expected Dynamics

1. Forest Outlook: Strong defensive core, Wood as aerial target. Without Elanga, creativity becomes narrow, reliant on Gibbs-White’s passing. 

1. West Ham Outlook: Bowen central threat; Souček late runs add goals. Midfield lacks Kudus’ flair, so Paquetá must dictate. 

1. Match Flow: Likely a scrappy midfield battle. West Ham edges possession, Forest counters via Gibbs-White → Wood. 

7. Predicted Strength Balance

• Nottingham Forest: ★★★☆☆ — strong striker (Wood), solid defense, but attack blunt without Elanga. 

• West Ham: ★★★★☆ — Bowen + Souček dependable, squad depth superior, though Kudus’ exit reduces star factor. 

Projected Result: 

• Tight game. West Ham slight favorites due to Bowen + stronger bench. 

• Predicted: West Ham win by 1 goal or a 1-1 draw if Forest’s Wood finds service.