West Ham United

BBC pundit Chris Sutton is taking on the challenge from Mark Lawrenson for the 2022-23 campaign and will try to pick the correct scores for every top-flight game against a variety of guests - and this season you can get involved too.

For this weekend's fixtures, he is up against Kasabian frontman and Leicester City fan Serge Pizzorno.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

This is not going to be easy for West Ham. It's Forest's first home game back in the Premier League so they will have a real go at them.

The Hammers still have injury problems at the back too, but I just think the nous of their manager David Moyes will see them edge it.

Serge's prediction: 0-2

All banter aside it's great to have Forest back in the Premier League because those derby games against them are phenomenal. I'm only going one way here though.

Find out how Sutton and Pizzorno think the rest of the weekend's action will go and vote on the result you expect here

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest defender Scott McKenna is a big doubt with an injury suffered in training.

They are also without full-back Omar Richards, who has a hairline fracture in his leg, and midfielder Ryan Yates, who has a knee injury.

West Ham manager David Moyes says new signings Maxwel Cornet and Gianluca Scamacca are ready to make their first starts.

Michail Antonio is back in training after picking up a knock against Manchester City last week. Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, who went off injured in that match, remains a doubt.

Pick your Forest XI here

Would you start Scamacca or Cornet?

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham boss David Moyes says the club is "progressing" its effort to sign Paris St-Germain defender Thilo Kehrer.

The Hammers boss says he has been left frustrated in his attempts to land Matheus Nunes from Sporting Lisbon and that the 23-year-old "chose not to come".

But on 25-year-old German defender Kehrer, Moyes said: "We're not any further forward with it at the moment, but we are progressing."

Moyes lost defender Issa Diop to Fulham this week, while summer signing Nayef Aguerd suffered an ankle injury during pre-season.

Kehrer has played 20 times for Germany and took part in 27 league games for Paris St-Germain last season.

West Ham travel to the City Ground on Sunday to face Nottingham Forest who suffered a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle on their first game back in the Premier League.

Moyes added: "It's a big challenge. You only need to look at what Fulham have done in their first game, what Bournemouth have done. If you had a choice, you wouldn't want to play the newly promoted sides towards the early games of the season."

Forest - two time European champions - last featured in the Premier League in the 1998-1999 season when Moyes first started managing Preston North End.

He added: "I’ve got big respect for the manager Steve Cooper, he’s done an incredible job to get them [Forest] into the Premier League and I have to give him huge praise for what they’ve done.  I’ve been hugely impressed with them.

"It's been a great club over many, many years. I don't think there would be a fan in the UK who couldn't name Brian Clough and Nottingham Forest. It was great to get Leeds back in the Premier League a couple of years ago, and it's great to see them back too."

West Ham boss David Moyes has been talking to the media before Sunday's game against Nottingham Forest.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Angelo Ogbonna is out, Lukasz Fabianski is doubtful, Michail Antonio also had a knock but trained on Friday and Craig Dawson is "doing quite well" and they will see where he is at.

• On new signings Maxwel Cornet and Gianluca Scamacca starting, he said: "Yes, I think they're ready to start so that will be a decision to take."

• On Nottingham Forest's Premier League return, he said: "It's been a great club over many, many years. I don't think there would be a fan in the UK who couldn't name Brian Clough and Nottingham Forest. It was great to get Leeds back in the Premier League a couple of years ago, and it's great to see them back too."

• On the challenge of playing promoted sides, he said: "It's a big challenge. You only need to look at what Fulham have done in their first game, what Bournemouth have done. If you had a choice, you wouldn't want to play the newly promoted sides towards the early games of the season."

• On warm weather conditions, he said: "It’s something that we’re not so used to in this country, but we're getting on with it and we’ll deal with it the best we can."

Follow Friday's Premier League manger news conferences here

West Ham remain in talks with Paris St-Germain over a deal for Germany defender Thilo Kehrer, 25. (Express), external

Croatia forward Nikola Vlasic, 24, has signed for Serie A side Torino on loan from West Ham, with an option to move permanently. (Sun), external

Want more transfer news? Read Friday's full gossip column

The latest Fantasy 606 podcast has dropped before the gameweek two deadline.

Alistair Bruce-Ball, Chris Sutton and Statman Dave discuss how their first teams of the season got on.

You'll find out whether Clough and Taylor tinkered with their starting XI ahead of the first deadline and they ask whether you should switch onto Erling Haaland this week.

Plus listener Robbo pops by to discuss the changes to the listeners' team and comedian Luke Kempner joins the pod to play a game of Sutton Death.

Listen to Fantasy 606 on BBC Sounds

We asked you what type of business West Ham still need to do before the end of the transfer window.

Here are some thoughts:

Geoff: How can we not be ready for the start of the season? I was there Sunday and we were very poor. Transfer business has been dreadful but week after week we hear the statements, 'we know we need to improve, we will learn from this and move on'... actions speak louder than words.

Kenneth: They need a better attacking front three plus a playmaker in midfield and two defenders. They need to be more ruthless going forward.

Bruce: David Moyes needs to stop selling players and get the new players in. Supporters are fed up with being told we are getting players in and then it never materialising. We are in great danger of ending up with another paper-thin squad.

Andy: We need a centre-half, a left-back (Cornet isn't defensive enough), and a central midfielder to replace Noble. Ideally another striker as well. But we've got the same old problems that nobody wants to come to West Ham and we can't keep players fit. Top-10 finish and I'll be very happy. Frustrating times.

Leonard: David Moyes is a good manager but the board, along with the manager, should have a list of players before the season starts and act upon it as soon as the final whistle is blown. We are in urgent need of a proven centre-half with experience.

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham striker Michail Antonio says new signing Gianluca Scamacca is "definitely going to impress" after he made his debut in their 2-0 opening-day defeat by Manchester City.

The Italy forward, who signed for £30.5m last month, replaced Antonio for the final quarter of the game at the London Stadium.

"He looks quality, I have seen him in training and in the 25-30 minutes that he played, his leap looked decent - I am very impressed with him. I think it is a great signing," Antonio told The Footballer's Football Podcast.

"He came on, won a few headers and he switched the play quite well - he is a player and is definitely going to impress."

Antonio was the Hammers' only recognised striker last season and played 36 times in the Premier League, scoring 10 goals.

"I am an experienced pro, all I have to do is focus on the job I am doing out there," he added.

"There was a certain stage of last season which everyone talks about when I went quite a few games without scoring. Obviously if I had someone there to push me and make me have to play better to score more goals, it [the drought] probably wouldn't have gone on for so long.

"I need someone there, I need that push. I need someone there challenging me."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Mark Noble says that not being capped by England is "not a regret" following the 35-year-old's retirement from football at the end of last season.

The West Ham legend joined the Hammers youth academy in 2000, remaining at the club for over 20 years and becoming their record Premier League appearance-holder with 414 games.

Despite captaining England Under-21s and playing consistently in the Premier League the midfielder never received a senior call-up.

"For me it is not a regret, it really isn't, but if you asked me in another way - 'am I gutted I never played for England' of course I am," he said on his West Ham 'One Of Our Own' documentary. , external

"At times I thought I deserved it but - when I look at some players that have played for England - I am pretty sure there will be a lot of people who say I have had a lot better careers than a lot of them, who have had one or two caps for England.

"Congratulations to them as it is every boy's dream and their families would have been incredibly proud, and so would mine. But it never happened and it never came, but I will never dwell on that."

Emma Jones, BBC Radio London

What do West Ham do now?

They weren’t ready for the start of the season. David Moyes admitted it before Sunday’s game. Not ideal then that his team had to kick off against the defending Premier League champions Manchester City and a certain Erling Haaland.

The West Ham manager wasn’t able to name any of his new signings in his starting XI at the weekend as a record crowd at London Stadium watched City comfortably claim a 2-0 win, with the lion's share of possession, against a surprisingly lacklustre home side.

Moyes is still in the process of reshaping his team but has admitted some frustrations over his attempts to add to his squad.

There are clearly still going to be more ins – and some outs – before the transfer window closes.

But what kind of business does the club still need to do before the fans – and their manager – are able to say "we’re ready now"?

Do you agree with Emma? What do you think West Ham need? Let us know here

Nottingham Forest v West Ham will be on BBC Radio London Digital from 14:00 BST on Sunday 

• This is the first meeting between Nottingham Forest and West Ham in any competition since January 2014, when Forest won 5-0 in an FA Cup tie.

• West Ham have won 10 of their past 14 Premier League games against promoted sides.

• Forest (five) and West Ham (six) had the fewest shots of any side in last weekend's opening round of Premier League matches.

• Nottingham Forest's Jesse Lingard was involved in 13 goals in 16 Premier League appearances for West Ham in 2021 (nine goals, four assists).

Image source, Getty Images

Simon Stone, BBC Sport

West Ham striker Nikola Vlasic will have a medical with Serie A outfit Torino today ahead of joining the club on a season-long loan.

Vlasic joined the Hammers for £26.8m last summer but made only six Premier League starts and scored one goal in 31 appearances in all competitions.

It is understood Torino will pay a loan fee of €2.5m (£2.1m) for the 24-year-old. There is also the option to turn it into a permanent deal for €15m (£12.68m).

Meanwhile, West Ham will play Danish club Viborg in the Europa Conference League play-offs.

West Ham reached the Europa League semi-finals last season before being beaten by eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Hammers have qualified for Europe through their league position in consecutive seasons for the first time in their history.

Viborg are seventh in the 12-team Danish league and beat Faroes outfit B36 to reach the play-off round.

The first leg is at the London Stadium next Thursday.

Premier League pursuits of £30m-rated striker Raul de Tomas, 27, have been given a boost after Espanyol's chairman admitted the Spaniard might leave the club, with Aston Villa, Everton, Newcastle and West Ham interested. (Birmingham Mail), external

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

James Jones, We Are West Ham podcast, external

The 2-0 defeat to Manchester City last weekend felt like an inevitability when the starting XI was revealed.

West Ham have always been known as the club with the striker curse, having tried and failed for almost two decades to sign one capable of scoring goals regularly over a sustained period of time.

But now it appears we’ve got a centre-back curse, too. With Angelo Ogbonna, Nayef Aguerd and Craig Dawson all injured and Issa Diop reportedly refusing to play, David Moyes was forced to play Ben Johnson alongisde Kurt Zouma at the back, which wouldn’t have been as bad as it sounds had it not been Erling Haaland that they were tasked with keeping quiet.

Aguerd’s injury is the hardest one to stomach. Specifically brought in earlier this summer to add depth to Moyes’ defence, he now faces at least 10 weeks on the sidelines with an ankle injury.

It will no doubt force Moyes and his recruitment team back into the transfer market for a replacement, using funds intended for strengthening other areas of the squad, such as left-back and midfield.

It’s yet another frustration for Moyes this summer as time runs out before the deadline. 

West Ham centre-back Issa Diop seems close to a move to Fulham after a bid of £15m was reportedly accepted.

The 25-year-old Frenchman only played 13 Premier League games for the Hammers last season.

Daily Mirror assistant editor Darren Lewis told the Transfer Daily Gossip podcast: "He was at one stage the bright young thing at West Ham, but his form has declined. He hasn’t been able to command a regular first-team place.

"They’re looking at better players who can give them more. It says a lot that they have injuries in that position and are still prepared to sell him.

"He’d be a good signing for Fulham. They had a good performance at the weekend against Liverpool. They need defenders. Maybe he can revive his career there."

Listen to the podcast here.

West Ham have accepted a £15m offer from Fulham for 25-year-old French defender Issa Diop, who is expected to sign a five-year deal with the Cottagers. (Athletic - subscription), external

The Hammers are looking at a £15m move for Paris St-Germain's 25-year-old Germany defender Thilo Kehrer. (Mail), external

Want more transfer news? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

Callum Wilson and Michail Antonio have debated who would score more goals throughout this season.

West Ham striker Antonio outscored Wilson last season scoring 10 goals to the Newcastle man's eight.

However, in their debate Wilson jokes that he "missed about 20 games and [Antonio] only scored one more goal."

The two strikers settled on a bet of a three course meal and the winner is also allowed to choose a guest. Whether that is cooked or paid for by the loser remains to be seen.

Listen to the full Footballer's Football Podcast on BBC Sounds

We asked you for your thoughts after West Ham's opening weekend defeat against Manchester City at London Stadium.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Jay: I think the game was a fair reflection of where we are as a side and in the season. We had no new players in our starting 11 and this will change. We also looked colder than City, who played Liverpool last week, maybe giving them an added edge. They looked a week ahead of us in a pre-season sense but I am optimistic with new players to come in soon.

Al: West Ham gave too much respect to City. There was no motivation to win the ball back. Instead they sat with 11 men behind the ball and just watched City pass the ball around. When West Ham did get the ball, it was just punted up field straight back to City... Need a huge improvement for the Forest game.

JP: We lacked any bottle to get anything from the game until the hour mark. We just sat back and let them come at us when everyone knows if you attack City they buckle. Inept tactics from a pretty much switched on manager. But we lick our wounds and go again. Benrahma shouldn't be anywhere near the squad now. He has to go. Not to West Ham's level.

Ted: I thought, honestly, we were just outplayed by City. Haaland was incredible.

Jack: Disappointed, but West need to improve the tactics to prepare for the Nottingham Forest game next week.