LONDON– West Ham United gave their Premier League survival hopes a lift with a gritty 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest in a high-pressure relegation clash at the London Stadium. Jarrod Bowen led the comeback with two second-half goals, cancelling out Neco Williams’ opener and earning the Hammers three huge points.
Both sides came into the night needing a result, with little room for mistakes near the bottom end of the table. West Ham kept their nerve when the game opened up after the break, stretched their unbeaten run, and edged themselves away from the danger zone. Forest, still searching for form, left east London with more worries and another defeat to chew over.
The first half felt tight and cautious, with the stakes clear from the opening whistle. Forest looked sharp on the break, and Anthony Elanga’s pace down the wing caused early problems, forcing Alphonse Areola into a strong save. West Ham’s clearest opening fell to Mohammed Kudus, who bent a shot just wide after a quick exchange with Lucas Paquetá.
Forest struck first seven minutes into the second half. Neco Williams burst forward from right-back, met a smart pass from Morgan Gibbs-White, and finished calmly past Areola on 52 minutes. It was a classic counter-attacking goal, and it put the home crowd on edge.
West Ham didn’t fold. Crysencio Summerville, busy all evening, had the ball in the net soon after, only for the flag to rule it out for offside. The pressure kept building, and on 68 minutes, the hosts got their reward. Paquetá slid a sharp pass into Bowen inside the box, and the West Ham captain drilled a low finish into the corner for his 10th Premier League goal of the season.
The winner arrived 12 minutes later. Jarrod Bowen chased down a loose ball, and Murillo caught him in the area. The referee pointed to the spot, and Bowen took charge. He sent Matz Sels the wrong way and made it 2-1, sparking loud celebrations around the stadium.
Forest pushed late. Chris Wood came close with a header that flew over, but West Ham stayed organised and saw it out for a deserved win.
Bowen was the standout. His two goals pushed him into double figures for the campaign, and once again, he carried West Ham when it mattered most. “It’s massive for us,” Bowen said after the match. “We knew what this game meant. The fans were incredible, and we dug deep for them.”
Forest had bright spells, with Gibbs-White showing quality in midfield, but they lacked a finish when chances appeared. Nuno Espírito Santo summed it up simply: “We started well but couldn’t capitalise. Credit to West Ham, they took their chances.”
Current Premier League Table (Top and Bottom Snapshot)
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 20 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 48 | 18 | +30 | 48 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 20 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 42 | 20 | +22 | 44 |
| 3 | Manchester City | 20 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 38 | 22 | +16 | 40 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 15 | Nottingham Forest | 21 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 25 | 32 | -7 | 23 |
| 16 | West Ham United | 21 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 28 | 37 | -9 | 22 |
| 17 | Everton | 20 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 20 | 28 | -8 | 21 |
| 18 | Wolverhampton | 20 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 22 | 35 | -13 | 17 |
| 19 | Burnley | 20 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 18 | 36 | -18 | 15 |
| 20 | Sunderland | 20 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 15 | 34 | -19 | 13 |
(Standings approximate as of 7 January 2026. West Ham move up to 16th after the win, with Forest in 15th.)
Recent Form (Last Six Premier League Matches)
West Ham United: W L D L W D
(That win adds fresh belief to the survival push)
Nottingham Forest: L L D W L L
(Four without a win, and the pressure keeps rising)
What This Means in the Relegation Fight
West Ham’s win tightens the gap to safety and gives them real momentum at a key time. Forest remains uncomfortably close to the bottom three, and they will need points soon to stop the slide.
The next tests come quickly. West Ham head to Tottenham, while Forest host Arsenal. With the lower end of the Premier League table so tight, results like this can shape the run-in. For West Ham, Bowen has delivered when they needed him most, and the scrap goes on.
