West Ham United's early-season Premier League tour of London is over. Having played nine straight top-flight matches inside the M25 to kick-off the 2024/25 campaign, the Hammers will leave the capital for the first time this season when they head to the City Ground on Saturday.
Julen Lopetegui’s charges produced yet another late show against Manchester United on Sunday to score a 2-1 win at London Stadium, with Crysencio Summerville’s first goal in Claret and Blue and Jarrod Bowen’s late penalty enough to secure a dramatic three points.
The Hammers, who are seeking their first Premier League victory at Nottingham Forest since September 1996, will be wary of the threats posed by a Reds side that have proved to be one of the most impressive outfits in the division so far this term, sitting in seventh - and just two points off the top four - with four wins and only one defeat from their nine games.
Both sides will be full of individuals looking to provide the touch of magic required to make the difference on the day, meaning there are a number of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) decisions to be made in the lead up to kick-off.
The Gameweek Ten transfer deadline is set for 11am on Saturday 2 November ahead of a mouth-watering feast of weekend action that begins two-and-a-half hours before West Ham’s clash at the City Ground.
While we will be giving you FPL tips and tricks throughout the remainder of the 2024/25 season on whufc.com, see below for some of our picks for the upcoming round.
Also, don't forget to join the Official West Ham United FPL League by entering the code tezfax...
Back to our Gameweek Ten preview, and we’re looking for an exciting young winger to make an impact again…
Is Summerville set for first Premier League start?
Something had to change at half-time against Manchester United last weekend, and it did as Lopetegui made three substitutions, including the key introduction of Crysencio Summerville (£5.7m).
The Dutchman has shown patience since his summer move from Leeds United, playing as an understudy to Mohammed Kudus and impressing with a series of cameos off the substitutes’ bench.
The winger not only scored his first goal in Claret and Blue against the Red Devils but also added much-needed direct running and, most importantly, pace to the Hammers’ attack, with his dribbling and attacking intent immediately unsettling Manchester United’s defence.
No individual produced a greater number of chance-creating ball carries than his 100 in last season’s Championship, while he also scored from nine of his own carries.
Summerville totalled seven FPL points in the win over Manchester United, and could be another big-game player this weekend. Now, after another impressive performance, the 23-year-old could be in contention for his first Premier League start for the Hammers in Nottingham.
Opposition Watch: Nottingham Forest
Sometimes a manager, player and club combination just clicks - and that certainly applies at Nottingham Forest, where Chris Wood (£6.4m) is in the form of his life.
The 32-year-old striker took his eye-catching tally this season to seven Premier League goals after scoring twice in last Friday's 3-1 victory at Leicester City, which ranks him among the four top-scoring strikers in Fantasy Premier League, producing an outstanding 59 points.
Since Nuno Espírito Santo’s arrival at the City Ground on 23 December 2023, the only Premier League player to score more non-penalty goals than Wood's 17 is Manchester City's Erling Haaland, with 18.
Wood has hit the target with 13 of 16 shots so far in 2024/25 and has outscored his xG by an impressive 3.27 according to Opta’s Expected Goals (xG) metric, so West Ham, who have faced 142 shots so far this campaign, will need to ensure they keep the in-form New Zealander quiet in and around the penalty area this weekend.
