West Ham United signed off their home campaign with a ninth disappointing, dismal defeat of a sorry season at London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
While seventh-placed Nottingham Forest kept their UEFA Champions League dreams alive and kicking thanks to a 2-1 victory, with just one game still to play the Hammers - who have now lost 17 matches this term - simply cannot wait for the curtain to drop on 2024/25.
“We just fell short against a team that is in a good place at the moment,” conceded Graham Potter after Morgan Gibbs-White and Nikola Milenković netted either side of the interval before Jarrod Bowen replied with an 86th-minute consolation.
“The fans were great today and it was a shame we couldn’t finish with three points but nobody gives you anything in the Premier League.”
Sadly, that was not the case for Alphonse Areola, whose careless, ill-placed pass gifted Gibbs-White an 11th-minute opener that put Forest firmly in the driving seat following a lively start.
Indeed, Tomáš Souček had an early goalbound header tipped over the bar by Matz Sels before departing Czech Republic compatriot Vladimír Coufal – making his final home appearance – was denied a first-ever goal in 179 outings for the Hammers by the Belgian stopper.
At the other end, an athletic, alert Areola had thwarted Elliot Anderson, Chris Wood and Gibbs-White, who was then the gleeful recipient of the red-faced Frenchman’s sloppy attempted ball to Guido Rodríguez.
“We’d started well and both teams were having a real go but their goal was a disappointing way to concede,” grimaced Potter after seeing Forest’s skipper pounce to give his side an interval lead.
“When you’re playing at home, you have to be the protagonist and attack but equally you’ve got to careful when you’re defending.”
With the hour-mark approaching, the Hammers head coach withdrew Aaron Cresswell – also making his final home appearance following 11 years and 368 showings down West Ham way – alongside James Ward-Prowse, Rodríguez and Souček.
But within moments of stepping from the bench, the fresh-legged quartet of Edson Álvarez, Carlos Soler, Lucas Paquetá and Niclas Füllkrug saw Nuno Espírito Santo’s side double their lead, when Milenković deflected Anthony Elanga’s inswinging free-kick into the net, before surviving a seemingly eternal Video Assistant Referee review.
“The substitutions didn’t have time to make any impact because we conceded again after those changes and the impetus was lost,” added Potter who then saw Bowen juggle Morato’s headed clearance before brilliantly volleying past Sels.
The West Ham captain’s 13th goal of the season set up a frantic furious finale comprising a quarter-of-an-hour’s additional time during which Füllkrug’s powerful header was thwarted by Sels.
“It got very stop-start and, although we tried hard, we came up short at the end,” said Potter, who takes his 15th-placed side to relegated Ipswich Town on Sunday (4pm) ahead of going into 2025/26 with a blank piece of paper.
“Nottingham Forest finished fourth from bottom last year but they recruited well, Nuno’s had another season with them and the club’s taken some really positive steps, too. We need to aspire to that ourselves.
“We’ve already laid some foundations for next year and it’s going to be a big summer for us as we plan, adjust and work with the players. We’ve now got to use the months ahead to make good decisions that can help take the club forward.”
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