Nottingham Forest 3-0 West Ham: Chris Wood scores AGAIN along with an Ola Aina thunderbolt to help Nuno Espirito Santo’s side move into the TOP FOUR – as Edson Alvarez is sent off for dismal Hammers

Nottingham Forest currently represent everything West Ham want to be.

They are a team with identity, a clear playing style, character and personality. There is a connection between their manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, and the supporters. Their centre forward, Chris Wood, cannot stop scoring.

Saturday’s victory at the City Ground saw them climb to third in the Premier League table. It is the first time they have won three top-flight games in a row since 1999. Whisper it quietly, they may just be European contenders this season.

That is what West Ham were supposed to be. What Nuno has created at Forest is what Julen Lopetegui was tasked with bringing to east London when he took over from David Moyes. The Spaniard may only be 10 games in, but his team could not be further away from competing with Europe’s elite.

Nuno will continue to play down Forest’s ambitions this season, but why can’t his supporters dream?

Striker Wood found the net with a header from the edge of the six-yard box in the 27th minute

That was New Zealander Wood’s sixth goal for club and country since the start of October

After Wood opened the scoring in the 27th minute, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ola Aina both scored superb long-range strikes in the second half.

West Ham’s 2-1 victory over Manchester United last weekend had felt like a false dawn given the number of chances their opponents missed and the controversy surrounding their winning penalty. 

All of their flaws and bad habits were on show at the City Ground for everyone to see, including owner David Sullivan – who was spotted arriving in his Rolls Royce before kick-off.

Edson Alvarez was shown his second red card of the season after picking up two bookings in the first half. 

It was a carbon copy of his dismissal in the League Cup defeat at Liverpool, which also came as a result of two cautions. 

His first was a needless booking for a foul in the middle of the pitch before a reckless and cynical challenge on Anthony Elanga just before half-time.

West Ham did not lay a glove on Forest and the hosts were rewarded for their pressure when Wood scored his eighth of the season. 

The forward now has 23 Premier League goals for Forest and is one behind Bryan Roy’s all-time record. He has found the net as many times as Manchester United’s entire team. Baffling, then, that West Ham decided to leave him unmarked in the penalty area.

Morgan Gibbs-White played a brilliant ball through to Alex Moreno on the left-wing and he chipped in a cross which the striker headed home from close-range.

It had taken West Ham 45 minutes to have their first shot on goal, but it nearly brought them level. A corner dropped to Lucas Paqueta on the edge of the box but his goal-bound effort was superbly blocked by goalscorer Wood.

Forest turned defence into attack and within 30 seconds, West Ham had been reduced to 10 men. 

Alvarez was already on a booking when he flew into the striding Anthony Elanga, who was sent tumbling to the ground. Referee Peter Bankes had no option but to produce a second yellow, followed by a red card.

West Ham were reduced to 10 men just before half-time when Edson Alvarez was sent off

Alvarez walked towards the corner of the pitch after mistakingly thinking the tunnel was there

West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui (right) pictured looking at Alvarez after he had been dismissed

Former Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi doubled the home side’s lead in the 65th minute

No 34 Ola Aina made it 3-0 to Forest in the 78th minute with a powerful strike from long range

Lopetegui took off Crysencio Summerville and Guido Rodriguez at half-time and brought on Carlos Soler and Michail Antonio, but it was Nuno’s changes that made the difference.

Elliott Anderson came on for Gibbs-White and immediately forced Jean-Clair Todibo into a foul on the edge of the box. Anderson took the free-kick short to Hudson-Odoi, whose shot flew past everyone in the box and into the top right corner, with a slight nick off the head of Nuno’s other substitute, Jota Silva. The deflection perhaps helped it sail past Lukasz Fabianski but the goal was officially given to Hudson-Odoi.

Aina then put gloss on the win with the best goal of the afternoon. The right back cut inside and curled a beautiful left-footed shot into the far corner past a helpless Fabianski.

Ryan Yates thought he had scored a fourth in stoppage time but saw his effort ruled out for offside.