NafisaThe pressure couldn’t be greater for Nottingham Forest on Saturday as they take on West Ham United at the London Stadium.
Forest have dropped out of the top five following their 2-2 stalemate with Leicester City, making Champions League qualification seem doubtful.
Nevertheless, it’s not over yet, especially with Chelsea still to visit on the final day at the City Ground — a clash that promises to be a decisive encounter.
First up is a journey to the capital, where they’ll face a West Ham side fresh from a victory over Manchester United.
Ahead of the encounter, the Premier League has just confirmed something that’s unlikely to sit well with the Nottingham Forest camp.
Darren England assigned to VAR for Forest vs West Ham
The Premier League has unveiled the officiating team for gameweek 37, with Sam Barrott taking charge of the Forest fixture, while Wade Smith and Akil Howson have been named as assistants.
Matt Donohue will act as the fourth official, and notably, Darren England will oversee VAR duties, supported by Mark Scholes.
- Referee: Sam Barrott
- Assistants: Wade Smith, Akil Howson
- Fourth official: Matt Donohue
- VAR: Darren England
- Assistant VAR: Mark Scholes
Jamie Redknapp previously claimed that Darren England made a major blunder in Forest’s loss to Brentford by not showing Keane Lewis-Potter a second yellow card, a decision that ultimately cost Forest the game and caused further damage to their hopes of finishing in the Top-4.
Lewis-Potter was extremely lucky not to be dismissed by England, and as a result, Forest endured a costly 2-0 defeat.
Forest’s recent record against West Ham
Forest approach the match having secured just one win in their last six outings, making a victory crucial.
But encouragingly for Forest, they’ve enjoyed recent success against West Ham, having won three of their previous five encounters.
Espirito Santo’s men have the chance to complete the double with a win on Sunday afternoon, after defeating West Ham 3-0 in the earlier fixture this season.
- 14 Aug 2022: Nottingham Forest 1-0 West Ham United – W – Premier League
- 25 Feb 2023: West Ham United 4-0 Nottingham Forest – L – Premier League
- 12 Nov 2023: West Ham United 3-2 Nottingham Forest – L – Premier League
- 17 Feb 2024: Nottingham Forest 2-0 West Ham United – W – Premier League
- 02 Nov 2024: Nottingham Forest 3-0 West Ham United – W – Premier League
A win could potentially propel them back into the top five, depending on how other results play out.
Nafisa
