West Ham head to the City Ground on Sunday chasing a Premier League record that has stood for 29 years against Nottingham Forest. The Hammers have not scored at Forest’s ground in the top flight since 1996, with the last away goal coming from Michael Hughes in a 2-0 defeat. In the four Premier League meetings since then, Forest have enjoyed home success in this fixture: a 3-0 win in 2024-25, a 2-0 win in 2023-24, a 1-0 win in 2022-23, and a 0-0 draw in 1998-99.
That drought is the headline, but Forest’s own defensive struggles add another layer of intrigue. Nottingham Forest have not kept a clean sheet in ten Premier League matches, a run only Fulham currently longer at 11. Their last shutout came in a 1-0 victory over Manchester United on April 1.
Off the pitch, both clubs have been navigating questions about their managers, but signs point to warmer relations lately. Nuno Espirito Santo has focused his attention on Sunday’s game and urged Forest fans not to be complacent, while owner Evangelos Marinakis and the manager appear to be on good terms again.
Forest fans will be hopeful that the streaks can tilt in their favor: if they can keep West Ham from scoring and perhaps add to their own scoring ledger, home support could be the deciding factor. Conversely, West Ham will be looking to end the 29-year drought at the City Ground and keep their campaign progressing.
Key question for Sunday: will the record remain intact, or will one of these long-standing streaks finally be broken? Either way, the match promises a tense, potentially pivotal duel as both sides aim to lift their fortunes.
Summary: A high-stakes clash at the City Ground centers on a historic scoring drought for West Ham and a stubborn defensive drought for Forest, with managerial tensions calming and hopeful optimism shaping the narrative around the fixture.