Nottingham Forest currently represents everything West Ham want to be.
It is a team with identity, a clear playing style, character and personality. There is a connection between his coach, Nuno Espirito Santo, and the fans. Their center forward, Chris Wooden, can't stop scoring.
Saturday's victory at the Metropolis Floor saw them move up to third place in the Premier League standings. It is the first time they have won three games in a row in the top flight since 1999. Say it quietly, they may be European contenders this season.
That's 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 replaced David Moyes. The Spaniard may only have 10 games in, but his team couldn't 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 fans dream?
Chris Wooden scored again as Nottingham Forest beat West Ham United on Saturday afternoon.
Forward Wooden found the net with a header from the edge of the six-yard box in the 27th minute.
This was New Zealander Wooden's sixth goal for his club and national team since the beginning of October.
After Wooden opened the scoring in the 27th minute, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ola Aina scored superb long-range goals in the second half.
West Ham's 2-1 victory over Manchester United last weekend felt like a false dawn given the number of opportunities their opponents missed and the controversy surrounding the winning penalty.
All of their flaws and bad habits were displayed on the Metropolis Floor for everyone to see, including owner David Sullivan, who was seen arriving in his Rolls Royce before the start.
Edson Álvarez received his second red card of the season after receiving two warnings in the first half.
It was a carbon copy of his dismissal in the League Cup defeat to Liverpool, which also came as a result of two bookings.
The first was an unnecessary booking for a foul in the middle of the field before a reckless and cynical challenge on Anthony Elanga just before half-time.
West Ham didn't lay a glove on Forest and the hosts were rewarded for their pressure when Wooden scored his eighth of the season.
The forward now has 23 goals in the Premier League with Forest and is one away from Bryan Roy's all-time record. He has scored as many times as the entire Manchester United team. It is baffling, then, that West Ham decided to leave him unmarked in the penalty area.
Morgan Gibbs-White passed a brilliant ball to Alex Pardo on the left wing and he sent in a cross which the striker headed in from close range.
It took West Ham 45 minutes to get their first shot on goal, but they almost equalized. A corner fell to Lucas Paqueta on the edge of the area, but his shot was superbly blocked by goal scorer Wooden.
Forest turned defense into attack and within 30 seconds, West Ham were down to ten men.
Álvarez was already cautioned when he collided with Anthony Elanga, who fell to the ground. Referee Peter Bankes had no choice but to show a second yellow card, followed by a red card.
West Ham were reduced to 10 men just before half-time when Edson Alvarez was sent off.
Álvarez walked to the corner of the field after mistakenly thinking the tunnel was there
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui (right) pictured looking at Alvarez after his dismissal.
Former Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi doubled the hosts' lead in the 65th minute
Number 34 Ola Aina made it 3-0 for Forest in the 78th minute with a powerful shot from long range.
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Lopetegui replaced Crysencio Summerville and Guido Rodríguez at half-time and brought on Carlos Soler and Michail Antonio, but it was Nuno's changes that made the difference.
Elliott Anderson replaced Gibbs-White and immediately forced Jean-Clair Todibo into a foul on the edge of the area. Anderson launched the short free-kick to Hudson-Odoi, whose shot flew past everyone in the area and into the top right corner, with a slight cut to the head of Nuno's other substitute, Jota Silva. The deflection perhaps helped the team get past Lukasz Fabianski, but the goal was officially awarded to Hudson-Odoi.
Aina then added shine to the win with the best goal of the afternoon. The right-back cut inside and fired a beautiful left-footed shot into the far corner of a helpless Fabianski.
Ryan Yates thought he had scored the fourth in stoppage time but saw his effort ruled out for fuera de juego.
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