West Ham United 4-0 Nottingham Forest
Premier League, London Stadium, Saturday 25 February 2023
A Danny Ings’ double on his full debut, combined with a fine Declan Rice finish and a Michail Antonio header, fired West Ham United to an impressive 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
All the goals came in the final 20 minutes of Saturday’s Premier League match at London Stadium, but it was no less than the Irons deserved for their dominance throughout the game.
Ings, making his first start since joining the Club in January from Aston Villa, turned Jarrod Bowen’s cross past Keylor Navas on 70 minutes for his first goal in Claret and Blue, before scoring his second just three minutes later from Saïd Benrahma’s cut-back.
Captain Rice put the game to bed on 78 minutes with a delightful curling strike from the edge of the penalty area, before two substitutes combined barely a minute after coming on to add the fourth; Pablo Fornals crossing for Antonio to head home.
The victory over Forest is West Ham’s biggest win of the season and moves David Moyes’ side out of the bottom three, up to 16th, in the Premier League.
It was almost the perfect start to life in the starting XI for Ings, who was played through by Bowen on the right channel just a minute into the game. The striker, under pressure from Felipe, saw a golden opportunity to take an early shot slip away.
Bowen almost gave the Hammers the lead straight from a corner when his whipped delivery from the right deceived Navas and looked destined for the top left-hand corner. The Costa Rican did well to get back and tip the ball away.
From the resulting set play, the Irons struck the post. Paquetá’s recycled ball back into the box ricocheted off Felipe, with the ball flicking the base of the post and out for another corner.
It was Forest’s Brazilian defender who would first test Łukasz Fabiański inside a frantic opening 15-minute spell. The centre-back’s flicked header had to be tipped away by the experienced Pole.
Morgan Gibbs-White would then see a powerful shot well-held by the No1, following Brennan Johnson’s cut-back, before Benrahma’s narrow effort was held by Navas.
The start of the second half brought a first change to the Hammers side, as manager Moyes introduced Aaron Cresswell in place of Vladimír Coufal, with the hosts eager to capitalise on the crossing opportunities presenting themselves against Steve Cooper’s side.
Bowen almost found the bottom corner with a well-taken strike, only to see his right-footed effort bounce back off the far post, before Paquetá shaped a shot narrowly over the crossbar.
The visitors found themselves reduced to half chances, but stretched the Hammers defence through Johnson. The pacey winger was played down the right but, under pressure from Angelo Ogbonna and Rice, could not find the target.
A knock to Fabiański saw the 37-year-old replaced by Alphonse Areola in goal for the final 20 minutes, but what a 20 minutes it was, as the Hammers got the goals their performance merited.
The first was started by Ings, who played a wonderful switch pass out to Bowen on the wing. The No20 displayed his composure to drift into the penalty area before firing a low cross towards the penalty spot. Ings was in the right place to dig a shot past Navas’ outstretched frame.
Less than three minutes later, the No18 had his second. This time, the ball came from the left from Benrahma. The Algerian powered his way into the box and found the oncoming striker, who turned the effort goalwards.
Renan Lodi’s attempts to clear were futile and Ings became the first West Ham player to score twice on his full debut since Jesse Lingard in February 2021.
Just as the jubilant home support caught their collective breath from the quick-fire double, Rice got in on the goalscoring action. The midfielder received the ball on the edge of the penalty area and confidently curled home his second goal of the season.
With the three goals all but securing the three points, Moyes introduced a trio of substitutes in Fornals, Antonio and Manuel Lanzini, and the former pair combined for West Ham’s fourth barely 60 seconds later. The Spaniard’s precise cross was met by Antonio’s bullet header; a fine finish against his former club.
There was still time for Forest to press for a consolation, and Areola was forced into a brilliant save to deny Harry Toffolo deep in added time, ensuring a hard-fought clean sheet for the hosts.
The comprehensive victory was West Ham’s best scoreline of the season and, as the final whistle confirmed the result, it also verified the team’s ascendancy out of the relegation zone.
West Ham United: Fabiański (Areola 69), Coufal (Cresswell 46), Aguerd, Ogbonna, Johnson, Rice ©, Souček, Paquetá (Lanzini 83), Bowen, Benrahma (Fornals 83), Ings (Antonio 84)
Subs not used: Scamacca, Downes, Kehrer, Emerson
Goals: Ings 70, 73, Rice 78, Antonio 85
Nottingham Forest: Navas, Williams, Worrall ©, Felipe, Lodi (Toffolo 77), Freuler, Shelvey (Ayew 67), Colback, Gibbs-White, Johnson (Surridge 86), Wood (Lingard 77)
Subs not used: Hennessey (GK), Mangala, Danilo, Scarpa, Dennis
Referee: Jarred Gillett
Attendance: 62,469
