Kalvin Phillips was expelled as David MoyesHis control of his work took another big hit. six days later losing 6-0 at home to Arsenal, the West Ham United coach's commitment to trusting the English midfielder, on loan from Manchester CityIt is turning out to be counterproductive.
Moyes, still seeking his first win of 2024, saw Phillips sent off for two bookable offenses after Taiwo Awoniyi opened the scoring for Nottingham Forest, who achieved their first hat trick of the calendar year to move five points clear of the relegation zone. That goal came in the fifth minute of first-half added time and Callum Hudson-Odoi scored the decisive goal in the fifth minute of added time late in the match.
Traveling fans joined in with chants of “Boring, boring West Ham” and “You'll be sacked in the morning” as Moyes equaled his worst run at the club of eight games without a win, last recorded when he began his second stage in took the helm at the beginning of 2020. West Ham players, to their credit, came up to applaud the traveling fans, some of whom held banners reading “Moyes out” and “GSB out” in reference to the club owners.
Moyes has a lot credit in the bank with the clubwho remain eighth in the table and, having won their first major title in 43 years when they lifted Conference Europa last season before selling Declan Rice for £105m, have a Europa League last 16 tie that wait next month.
Phillips tried to show leadership among his tired teammates, but when he caught out Morgan Gibbs-White with a late tackle in the 71st minute, having been booked for a shove on Nicolás Domínguez three minutes earlier, on West Ham day had finished.
Alphonse Areola was the main reason why Nottingham Forest did not win by a greater distance. The West Ham goalkeeper made three superb saves in the first half, starting with an outstretched save as Anthony Elanga deftly dropped down to make space to break goalkeeper Hudson-Odoi's pullback.
After repelling Gibbs-White's shot from 10 yards, the ball swinging dangerously around the West Ham penalty area, Michail Antonio broke away from the halfway line with the opportunity to clearly accelerate. But, perhaps a little rusty after three months out with a knee injury, he so obviously pointed out his desire to recut his right foot that Murillo was able to extinguish the problem. “You'll never beat Murillo,” Forest fans sang, as they used to about Des Walker.
When Elanga slid Awoniyi towards goal, Areola again denied Forest brilliantly, timing the tackle to perfection. Then, in the last minute of added time at the end of the first half, the Nigerian received a ball from Domínguez at his feet, turned towards Nayef Aguerd and scored his sixth. first division goal of the season.
Although West Ham came more into play in terms of territory after the break, they were still indebted to Areola for not falling behind as he knocked down a wonderful volley from Elanga before parrying an equally audacious volley from Danilo. In the middle, Awoniyi headed just over the top.