My pre-match organisation is as haphazard as West Ham's defence, with daughter Nell waiting at Block H and myself loitering outside Hackney Wick station. But a late dash to the London Stadium sees us meet up, along with Fraser, Michael, Matt and Lisa. Nigel is away at Liverpool versus Brentford, having paid an arm and a leg to go on a groundhopping expedition with legendary 'hopper Reg.
Matt helpfully points out that if West Ham lose today David Moyes will have the record for most defeats as a Premier League manager, beating one Harry Redknapp.
After the Remembrance Day silence and The Last Post the game begins. West Ham take the lead in the third minute as Dominguez's pass deflects off his own man into the path of Lucas Paqueta, just outside the area. Lucas strides on to confidently place the ball into the corner and do some Strictly-style gyrations before buying a few used motors. Matt is quick to discover that this is West Ham's quickest goal since November 2020.
But Forest look a better team than last season and start to gain possession. Toffolo crosses and Areola has to produce a fantastic one-handed save to deny Awoiniyi. West Ham have a chance to make it two when good work by Kudus and Ward-Prowse sees the Hammers break at speed. But Kudus's pass is slightly underhit and Paqueta's effort is straight at the keeper.
The equaliser, predictably enough, arrives just before the interval. Soucek and Kudos aren't strong enough in a midfield tussle and Gibbs-White is released by a fine-through ball having got beyond Emerson. The Forest man's shot is well-saved by Areola, but he can only palm it out for Awoniyi to tap home.
At half-time we realise that we are without Nigel and his lucky banana, which surprisingly makes little difference to the game. Matt takes a straw poll of predictions. Lisa and myself go for 2-1 to the Hammers, Nell opts for 3-1, while pessimists Matt and Michael predict a 2-1 home defeat.
The second half begins with some Hammers attacks and also another Forest break, as Elenga sets up Awoniyi for a good chance that he slices wide. Forest take the lead when Aina gets down the right and cuts back for Elanga to lose Coufal and fire into the corner. He celebrates by whipping off his short and GPS Vest in front of the Forest fans and gets a yellow card.
Elanga may well regret his premature celebration as 123 seconds later the Irons win a corner. Ward-Prowse delivers again and Jarrod Bowen gets between two defenders to rise really well and head home. Game back on.
Moyes takes off Alvarez for Antonio, just to confirm to Fraser that he is a gung-ho gaffer. Kudus is looking tired and playing too deep, but Soucek has a storming last half hour. A bad back-header allows him to nip in and volley against the bar when he should probably score. Then another deep free kick from Ward-Prowse sees him get his head to the ball only to be thwarted by a superb save from Vlachodimos.
BOUNCING SOUCEK
West Ham win endless corners as the crowd gets behind the Hammers after a quiet first half. The game appears to be drifting towards an entertaining 2-2 draw until the 88th minute when Bowen wins a corner. Ward-Prowse swings in another precision ball to the danger area. Soucek gets between two defenders to send a header firmly into the net and wheels away like a man who has just won a year's supply of Czech potato salad.
There's still time for good control from Chris Wood to set up fellow sub Origi for a shot that Areola tips over the bar as the Hammers see out a nervy seven minutes of added time, with Moyes bringing on Ogbonna and Cresswell to waste time. But the Irons hold on for a much-needed win and move up to ninth place. Absolutely always in doubt.
We head off to the Eagle where Michael muses on the homo-erotic undertones in the anniversary screening of The Tomorrow People he's just seen and Chelsea and Man City trade eight goals on the TV.
So it's a welcome win before the international break. Not an entirely convincing performance, but the excellence of James Ward-Prowse's delivery (17 dead-ball assists from 2020-2021 onwards), Bowen's goal glut and the renaissance of Soucek as a penalty box threat provide something to build on.
PLAYER RATINGS: Areola 7; Coufal 5, Zouma 6, Aguerd 6, Emerson 5; Alvarez 6 (Antonio 5), Ward-Prowse 8, Paqueta 7 (Cresswell n/a), Soucek 8; Kudus 6 (Ogbonna n/a), Bowen 7.
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