Late drama condemns West Ham to another defeat as Forest strike at the death

West Ham’s slow unraveling continued under the floodlights at the London Stadium as Nottingham Forest completed a late comeback to deepen the sense of drift surrounding the struggling hosts.

In front of thousands of empty seats, West Ham fell 2 to 1 after conceding an 89th minute penalty that left supporters staring once more into the possibility of relegation. The atmosphere felt drained long before the final whistle, with frustration hanging heavily over a club that appears trapped in a spiral of its own making.

West Ham had taken the lead in the first half when a corner delivered by Crysencio Summerville was flicked on by Tomas Soucek and deflected into the net off Murillo. It briefly lifted the mood inside the stadium, but the sense of belief was fragile and short lived.

Early in the second half, Summerville thought he had doubled the advantage with a well taken finish. For a moment, head coach Nuno Espírito Santo celebrated wildly on the touchline. That joy evaporated within seconds when the goal was ruled out. Forest responded immediately, exposing the familiar lack of organisation that has plagued West Ham since Nuno’s appointment.

Nicolás Domínguez rose unchallenged to head Forest level, punishing slack defending and shifting the momentum decisively. From that point on, anxiety gripped the home side as Forest sensed vulnerability rather than resistance.

Despite creating moments of promise, West Ham never looked convincing. Their failure to control key moments proved fatal once again. With the match nearing its end, a clumsy attempted clearance from goalkeeper Alphonse Areola brought disaster. In trying to punch the ball away, he collided with Morgan Gibbs White inside the area. After a video review, the referee pointed to the spot.

Gibbs White showed no hesitation. His penalty sent the away fans into celebration and plunged the London Stadium further into gloom. Forest had been far from impressive, yet West Ham’s mistakes ensured they did not need to be.

The defeat leaves West Ham winless in ten league matches and still without a clean sheet under Nuno. The lack of progress is becoming impossible to ignore. Although the manager insisted his players did enough to win, the league table tells a harsher story.

After the match, midfielder Tomas Soucek spoke bluntly, calling for honesty inside the dressing room. He suggested that players who are comfortable with the current situation should not be involved, a remark that underlined growing tensions within the squad.

Nuno rejected the idea that effort was lacking, instead pointing to deeper structural issues. Years of poor recruitment and unclear planning have left the team short of quality and tactical discipline. The manager now finds his own position under scrutiny as results continue to slide.

Forest, meanwhile, eased pressure on their own campaign by ending a run of defeats. They did so without flair or dominance, simply capitalising on West Ham’s familiar errors.

As chants against the board echoed late on, it was clear the anger extends beyond the dugout. Many supporters see the current crisis as the result of long standing mismanagement rather than one bad appointment.

With relegation edging closer and belief draining away, West Ham look like a club running out of answers. The danger is no longer theoretical. Nights like this suggest survival is slipping from their grasp.