Key events
Show only key events
Please enable JavaScript to use this feature
GOAL! Nottingham Forest – West Ham 2-0 (Johnson 53)
Brennan Johnson has made two!
53 min Bowen turns the corner straight into the arms of Henderson.
52 min Fornals makes a good pass to Bowen, whose cross at the turn is left behind by McKenna…
51 min Lots of pressure from West Ham at the start of the second half. Forest enjoyed playing on the break last season, although I have no idea if that applies to a new set of players.
Updated at 3.10pm BST
50 min “It’s been 30 (thirty years) since Edward ‘Teddy’ Sheringham scored Forest’s (and anyone’s) first televised Premier League goal in a game that immediately shattered my optimism for Liverpool that season,” he says Niall Mullen. “Having been the dominant force in English football, the Reds were a helpless mess on the day. I guess that must be hard for you as a United fan to understand…”
I dream of being a helpless mess. To support, I meant to support.
48 min Bowen wins a corner for West Ham, who have made a quick start to the second half. Nothing comes of it.
46 min: Fornals hits the bar! What a start to the second half! Fornals takes a brilliant shot from 20 yards that bounces off the bar and down the line. Soucek is on the rebound, driving a close-range header that Henderson saves spectacularly to his right. He was a superb goalkeeper, not only the save but also the speed with which he got on his feet.
Updated at 3.10pm BST
46 min Peep Peep! Forest start the second half.
Reading in the middle of the day
“Objectively, that was an ugly goal,” says Mary Waltz. “No, it was completely beautiful, completely joyful!”
Updated at 14.56 BST
Mid: Nottingham Forest 1-0 West Ham
Forest lead through the inadvertent but lifting goal of Taiwo Awoniyi in stoppage time. West Ham had a controversial goal disallowed just before, so we should be in for a spirited second half.
He was a target dog, hell will Forest care. The enterprising Toffolo moved seamlessly into the box from the left and picked out Lingard, who made a complete mess of a simple chance 12 yards from goal. His home shot hit the outstretched Johnson, bounced past Awoniyi and slowly dribbled into the net!
Updated at 14.54 BST
GOAL! Nottingham Forest – West Ham 1-0 (Awoniyi 45+2)
Taiwo Awoniyi scores Forest’s first Premier League goal since 1999!
Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi scores his first goal. Picture: Craig Brough/Reuters Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi celebrates his first goal. Photograph: Craig Brough/Reuters
Updated at 14.54 BST
45 min Williams cuts inside and hits a decent shot from 20 yards that Fabianki saves comfortably. I’m still trying to make sense of the nullified goal. There is an argument that Mangala crossed Antonio, instead of Antonio running into him. You can make a decent case either way, but I don’t think it was a clear and obvious mistake. What is certain is that the collision affected the play, because Mangala was the closest Forest player to Rice, who was therefore old enough to pick out Benrahma.
Updated at 14.54 BST
NO GOAL! Nottingham Forest 0-0 West Ham
It has been banned! Hmm, I can see both sides of that. Antonio is furious, because he thinks, rightly so, I would say, that it was an accidental crash. I’m not sure that counts as a clear and obvious mistake.
Updated at 2.44pm BST
It came from a Forest corner, with West Ham breaking quickly. The move slowed, at which point Antonio ran into Mangala on the edge of the box and flattened him. Forest stopped mid-play and Rice guided a pass to Benrahma, who finished calmly.
But there is a VAR check, and the referee looks at the monitor.
Updated at 2.50pm BST
GOAL! Nottingham Forest – West Ham 0-1 (Benrahma 42)
The forest smokes!
West Ham United’s Said Benrahma scores his first goal. Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images/Reuters
Updated at 2.50pm BST
41 min: Good save by Fabianski! Toffolo’s cross is headed home by Johnson, and Williams gets the wrong side of Cresswell for a close-range shot that Fabianski bravely blocks.
39 min Benrahma’s long-range shot is half-blocked by Worrall and bounces to Antonio, who latches onto it from about eight yards. He was under pressure, and he reached an awkward height, but it was still a chance.
37 min The Sky Sports commentator points out that the pace has dropped since the cup break. This suits West Ham better than Forest would think.
In the 35th minute Benrahma beats Worrall in the box, gets to the byline and puts in a cross that hits Bowen eight yards out at the near post before being cleared. It was a very difficult ball for Bowen to deal with, belting towards him at navel height.
32 min. Coufal’s low shot from the edge of the area is deflected and Forest breaks. Lingard plays in Awoniyi, who tries to round Fabianski and knocks the ball out of play after a double bounce. No matter, he was well offside.
Updated at 2.32pm BST
29 min Lingard, who is being booed by the West Ham fans, makes a good pass to Johnson on the edge of the box. Turns, uses Zouma as a screen, but gets too close to Fabianski.
Drinks break Forest have been slightly the better team in a pleasant start to the game. New signing Taiwo Awoniyi has been a constant pain in defeat for West Ham.
25 min A good first time cross from Cresswell is headed straight at Henderson by Soucek. It was a decent effort, he should have generated all the power himself, but too close to the keeper.
24 min “I’m not sure about wearing black on a day like this…” says Ian Sargeant. “That Metgod goal cost us the title that season. I was listening to commentary on the radio. Either Peter Jones or Bryon Butler said it was the hardest they’d ever seen a ball hit.”
“Peter Jones and Bryon Butler”. Just give me a moment, please.
22 min Mangala threads an excellent ball down the left to find Johnson. He runs at Zouma, dragging his foot over the ball, but then curls a cross too close to Fabianski. There is a lovely confidence and purpose in Forest’s play.
20 min At the other end, an even more dangerous cross from Lingard just eluded the stretching Awoniyi at the far post. Lingard looks sharp, Awoniyi too.
Updated at 2.20pm BST
In the 19th minute, West Ham started to get into the game, and Cresswell’s dangerous cross just eluded the stretching Antonio.
18 min “All sports are corporate, most sports care more about the bottom line than anything else,” says Mary Waltz. “But hearing the story of Forest, seeing how important their club is in the heart of these cities, separates the PL from other leagues. Not the owners, the fans. I grew up with the NFL and it’s an incredible, profitable, soulless blockbuster. A plea from America to the people of the United Kingdom. Don’t let corporate American greed take over your game. They tried with the Superliga but they don’t let them.”
I’m afraid that ship has sailed, whether it arrives with a Super League flag or not. But I know what you mean: days like today remind us why we fell in love with football.
16 min: Off the line for Toffolo! Benrahama cuts in from the left and curls a typical curling shot towards the far post. Henderson dives to his left to save but pushes it against Soucek, the ball bouncing slowly towards goal. Toffolo does very well to stick it to safety.
Nottingham Forest’s Harry Toffolo clears the ball off the line. Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images/Reuters
Updated at 2.36pm BST
14 min A glorious and imaginative pass from Williams near the halfway line just eludes Awoniyi in the area. For now, everything is forest.
13 min: Chance for Awoniyi! Neco Williams moves down the right and delivers a lovely cross towards the penalty spot, where Awoniyi gets away from Zouma and heads just wide of the far post. Looks like a handful for defenders.
Updated at 2.13pm BST
12 min Niakhate lays his hands on Antonio in the box, a risky challenge, although Antonio receives no appeal as he hits the cover.
11 min The forest looks very sharp. O’Brien’s cross from the right goes into the air and Niakhate heads home. There is no rhythm to the ball and Fabianski saves comfortably.
10 min The free-kick is half-cleared and flicked towards the far post. Bowen wrestles with Awoniyi for the header and ends up heading it into his own goal. Fabianski moves smartly through his line to push it.
9 min Rice is cautioned for a foul on Lingard 30 meters from goal.
8 min Doesn’t score, but it was a good effort, hit and just over the crossbar. I think Henderson had it covered, although he wouldn’t swear to it under oath.
8 min Antonio fouls just outside the area, in good position for Cresswell on the left. It looked like a soft decision, which we’ll hear more about if Cresswell scores…
6 min Williams puts it into orbit. A poorly conceived, poorly executed effort.
5 min Forest have started well, and at a very high pace. The lively Awoniyi is fouled 25 yards from goal by Rice, although the free-kick is just left of center. Neco Williams has finished it…
4 min “Unrelated to the game Forest, but just happened to share something crazy with you,” writes Des. “I was walking through the streets of North West London on my way to a pub when I passed two old men who remembered the great Jimmy Johnstone. It was lovely to see these two lads who must have been in their 80s talking about him and, in particular, an overhead kick he did.I arrive at the pub to watch the Forest game and they have Celtic v Kilmarnock on, and within a minute Giakoumakis scores a superb overhead kick.
“It’s been so stylish, it’s been so clayssy, it’s been so Celteltelte” twitter
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) August 14, 2022
3 min Awoniyi wins an early corner…