Stan Collymore predicts Nottingham Forest v West Ham scoreline as he shares Jesse Lingard verdict
Stan Collymore predicts West Ham to get off the mark in the Premier League this season by earning a point on their travels to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Forest welcome the Hammers to the City Ground this weekend as the Trent-side stadium gets prepared to host Premier League football for the first time since May 1999.
Jesse Lingard is likely to make his home debut for Forest in the game, which will see him line up against his former club West Ham after snubbing a return to the London Stadium this summer.
Collymore expects a hostile reception from the away end towards Lingard and sees Forest and West Ham playing out a four-goal draw.
Writing in the Sunday People on 14 August (page 60), Collymore said: “Jesse Lingard will no doubt be given quite the reception from West Ham’s travelling fans this afternoon and I want to see him use that to announce himself as a Nottingham Forest player.”
Collymore then did his prediction for the game, saying it’ll be a 2-2 draw at the City Ground.
The ex-Forest forward said: “Entertaining game. Forest at home will be a different animal to the team who disappointed at Newcastle.”
Got to win
It’s only the second game of the season but David Moyes’ men need to win this game.
If they fail to beat a team that’s just been promoted and is completely disjointed after signing so many players in the summer, we’re going to be worried.
West Ham’s transfer business this summer has been slow and we doubt that any new arrivals will make the starting line-up at the City Ground on Sunday.
Alphonse Areola could start after his loan deal was made permanent in the summer but Nayef Aguerd is injured, Gianluca Scamamcca might not be trusted over Michail Antonio and Flynn Downes looks to be below Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice in the midfield pecking order.
Forest’s side is almost unrecognisable from the one that Steve Cooper led to promotion from the Championship last season so they should be there for the taking.
You’d imagine the atmosphere will be electric but with players like Kurt Zouma, Rice, Jarrod Bowen and Antonio in the side, it should be a game that West Ham win.
We wouldn’t be happy with a draw.
If we cannot win games like this when we’re not going to be as hopeful about matching the performances of the last two seasons in the Premier League.