Nottingham Forest host West Ham United in the Premier League on Sunday, eight years on from a Jamie Paterson hat-trick scoring the City Ground outfit their last win over the Irons.
The Hammers travelled to the East Midlands in January 2014 for an FA Cup third-round tie against a Billy Davies squad under Sam Allardyce. They have not met since, with West Ham remaining a top-flight club and Nottingham Forest only exiting the Championship this year.
- WORLD CUP: ONE PLAYER TO WATCH FROM ALL 32 NATIONS AT QATAR
- WORLD CUP: TOURNAMENT RECORD OF FRANCE ICON ZINEDINE ZIDANE
Steve Cooper led the Reds to the promised land with victory over Huddersfield Town in the play-off final at Wembley. But Nottingham Forest could only commemorate their return to the Premier League, after 23 years away, with a 2-0 loss at Newcastle United last Saturday.
Jamie Paterson thrilled as Nottingham Forest took last win over West Ham United
Jamie Paterson was the star of the show as Nottingham Forest scored their last win against West Ham United. It was also the last encounter between the two sides in any competition ahead of a first meeting at the City Ground as Premier League clubs since September 1998.
Sam Allardyce had fielded a youthful Hammers XI in the East Midlands, as he kept his more experienced stars fresh during a turbulent top-flight campaign. The Irons were just 19th in the standings at the time of the FA Cup tie, while three points from safety after 20 fixtures.
But West Ham’s changes afforded Billy Davies’ side the opportunity to turn in a dominant display on home soil. Never did it seem like the Hammers would threaten the second-tier side, as Danny Whitehead, Callum Driver and Sebastian Lletget recorded debuts to forget.
Steve Cooper will hope his Nottingham Forest XI can now follow in the footsteps of Davies’ men to score their own win over West Ham on Sunday and claim their first Premier League points since May 1999. So with that in mind, who started for the City Ground side in 2014?
Karl Darlow (GK): Star of last Nottingham Forest win vs West Ham now Newcastle’s
Karl Darlow started in goal as Nottingham Forest took their last win over West Ham during the FA Cup tie in 2014. He is now at Newcastle, having agreed to leave the City Ground for St James’ Park later that year but stayed on loan for the 2014/15 season to hit 111 outings.
Gonzalo Jara (RB): Star of last Nottingham Forest win vs West Ham now in Chile
Gonzalo Jara joined Nottingham Forest permanently in July 2013 following spending half a season on loan from West Brom. He would only stay at the City Ground until July 2014 and joining FSV Mainz. But the now Coquimbo Unido star in Chile played 56 times for the Reds.
Jamaal Lascelles (CB): Star of last Nottingham Forest win vs West Ham now Newcastle’s
Jamaal Lascelles also agreed to quit Nottingham Forest to join Newcastle in 2014 in a £5m double deal with Darlow. Likewise, he remained at the City Ground on loan in the 2014/15 season, going on to hit 65 games. The defender has made 214 for the Toon, and is captain.
Jack Hobbs (CB): Journeyman defender retired in 2020 after 15-year career
Jack Hobbs called time on his 15-year career in 2020 after the journeyman defender spent two seasons with Bolton Wanderers. He moved to the UniBol from Nottingham Forest, as well, after five years at the City Ground featured 86 games – including beating West Ham.
Eric Lichaj (LB): FCC Academy manager retired from playing in 2021
Long-time Nottingham Forest defender Eric Lichaj retired from playing in 2021, and is now the manager at FCC Academy. The 16-cap USA international took up the position in March following one year as the Reds’ U23 assistant boss, having returned after 190 appearances.
Guy Moussi (RM): Long-time Nottingham Forest midfielder retired in 2016
Guy Moussi spent six years under contract at Nottingham Forest, and started in the Reds’ last win over West Ham. The holding midfielder moved to the City Ground from Angers in 2008 and stayed there to 2014, amassing 150 appearances with three goals and six assists.
Andy Reid (CM): Midfielder captained Nottingham Forest to last win vs West Ham
Andy Reid captained Nottingham Forest to their last win over West Ham, and also scored the final goal. The midfielder rounded out the 5-0 result in the 91st-minute after the Irons fell apart with a left-footed shot beyond Adrian shortly before Martin Atkinson called time.
The Reds had re-signed Reid from Blackpool in 2011 after selling their academy product to Tottenham Hotspur in 2005. He would remain at the City Ground until the 29-cap Republic of Ireland international – now Cooper’s assistant coach – retired in 2016 after 287 games.
Henri Lansbury (CM): Midfielder now chasing promotion to Prem with Luton
Henri Lansbury is now chasing promotion to the Premier League with Luton Town after he joined the Hatters in 2021. The Arsenal product could not help guide Nottingham Forest to the top-flight during his five years at the City ground from 2012 to ‘17 between 150 games.
Djamel Abdoun (LM): Winger broke the deadlock in last Forest win vs West Ham
Djamel Abdoun broke the deadlock as Nottingham Forest secured their last win over West Ham in 2014. The winger converted his 12th-minute penalty after George Moncur tripped Paterson, for one of his two Nottingham Forest goals from 27 games between 2013 to ‘15.
Nottingham Forest sent Abdoun out on loan to KSC Lokeren for the latter half of 2014/15, before his move to PAE Veria that summer. A year in Greece would then precede the 11-cap Algeria international retiring in 2016 after a career that also briefly included Manchester City.
Greg Halford (ST): Billy Davies made defender a makeshift centre-forward
Davies made Greg Halford a makeshift centre-forward around the time of West Ham’s visit to Nottingham Forest. He was in top form at striker too with three goals in as many games. But Driver denied him with a last-ditch tackle, and the defender headed straight at Adrian.
Halford made 82 appearances for Nottingham Forest during his three years under contract at the City Ground after joining from Portsmouth in 2012. Only at academy club Colchester United did the current Billericay enforcer enjoy more outings in all competitions with 154.
Jamie Paterson (ST): Hat-trick hero in last Nottingham Forest win vs West Ham
Paterson was the hat-trick hero as Nottingham Forest took their last win over West Ham in the FA Cup in 2014. The forward fired his first of the third-round tie on 65 minutes, before slotting in Lansbury’s lay-off from eight yards out in the 71st and driving home in the 79th.
Nottingham Forest had signed Paterson from Walsall ahead of the 2013/14 season, and he remained at the City Ground until 2016. Bristol City swooped for the striker after 69 games for 14 goals and 15 assists, plus a loan to Huddersfield. He played 156 times for the Robins.
Bristol City eventually let Paterson move on last summer with Swansea City after 26 goals and 21 assists. His debut season in south Wales returned nine goals and nine assists in 38.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
