1. Danny’s double
Danny Ings has made his name as a Premier League goalscorer and, on his first start for the Hammers, the striker proved that the reputation has been well-earned.
The January signing from Aston Villa scored on his first league start for his old side, against Watford in August 2021. He also netted on his first Premier League start for Southampton, away to Everton in August 2018.
Against Forest, he made it a full debut hat-trick, grabbing two goals to put the Irons in control.
Each of Ings’ finishes came courtesy of an awareness developed over years of experience. The 30-year-old was in the right place to turn home Jarrod Bowen’s searching cross, before similarly moving into the six-yard box to net his second from Saïd Benrahma’s pass.
Ings’ strikes take him up 70 in the Premier League across his illustrious career. Having netted twice from three shots in Saturday’s match, more goals can surely be expected from our newest forward.
2. Rice's rocket
Declan Rice just loves a special goal.
The captain has made a habit of scoring long-distance strikes in Claret and Blue. There was his belting finish against Watford in a 3-1 win in July 2020, a sublime strike away to Aston Villa in 2021 and, of course, his well-taken equaliser versus Southampton back in October.
In netting against Forest, Rice scored his eleventh goal for West Ham and it was yet another fantastic finish.
The 24-year-old’s shaped strike left experienced UEFA Champions League-winning goalkeeper Keylor Navas with no chance, finding the net to send London Stadium into delirious delight.
Rice’s goal was more than deserved for the skipper, who played four key passes in the win and achieved an astonishing 98.2 per cent pass accuracy.
3. A substitution special
Saturday’s game was all but done when a trio of substitutes entered the fray for West Ham.
Manuel Lanzini, Pablo Fornals and Michail Antonio were brought on in place of Paquetá, Benrahma and Ings on 83 minutes with the score at 3-0 and, less than two minutes after the change was made, two of those introduced combined to add a fourth.
Another substitute, Aaron Cresswell, who had come on at half-time in place of Vladimír Coufal, started the move by playing Fornals down the left. The Spaniard evaded Brennan Johnson and stood up a precise cross for Antonio to attack.
The No9 made no mistake, powering home an unstoppable header for the Hammers’ fourth and his own personal 100th senior league goal.
Involvement in the closing exchanges were, understandably, limited for Fornals and Antonio, but the pair certainly made the most of their minutes. Antonio was also on the scoresheet the last time the Irons won 4-0 – away at Norwich City in May last year.
4. A milestone for Moyes
West Ham’s comprehensive win over Forest was a particularly special one for manager David Moyes, marking the Scotsman’s 250th win in the Premier League.
In securing the result at London Stadium, Moyes becomes just the third manager in Premier League history to win 250 matches. The revered duo of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger are the only two coaches to achieve more, doing so during their famed, lengthy spells in charge of Manchester United and Arsenal, respectively.
Of those 250 Premier League wins, 52 have come across Moyes’ two spells as West Ham manager.
Moyes oversaw six league victories in his first stint in charge, keeping the Irons in the Premier League in the 2017/18 season, before securing five after his return to the Club in the 2019/20 campaign. The Hammers won 19 league matches under Moyes in the 2020/21 season, and 16 in the 2021/22 campaign, with Saturday’s win over Forest the sixth of the current campaign.
The boss will be hoping to add even more in the coming weeks as the Irons look to climb the Premier League table.
5. Big win for Bobby
Ahead of kick-off, the 62,469 gathered in attendance at London Stadium paid a moving tribute to the late, great Bobby Moore OBE.
Friday marked 30 years since the tragic passing of West Ham’s greatest ever player, and the only Englishman to lift the World Cup, who lost his brave battle with bowel cancer at just 51.
Iconic images of Moore alongside Queen Elizabeth II, from whom he received the Jules Rimet trophy in 1966, and Pelé were displayed on the stadium screens as the two teams stood at the centre-circle prior to the match.
Bobby’s three great-grandchildren – seven-year-old Oliver and six-year-old twins Artie and Margot - joined the Hammers as they made their way out, while a floral tribute in memory of Moore’s number six shirt was carried on to the pitch, accompanied by flag-bearers waving giant flags in his honour.
A one-minute applause was then observed in celebration of Bobby's life and legacy. It was particularly poignant that West Ham’s biggest league win of the season so far came on the day the Club marked the legacy of its greatest ever son.
