Tomas Soucek netted an 88th-minute winner as West Ham United beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The two teams were level heading into the final exchanges, but Soucek's header two minutes from the end of normal time secured all three points for David Moyes's side.

The result has moved the Hammers up into ninth in the table, boasting 17 points from their first 12 matches, while Forest sit 15th, picking up 13 points from their opening 12 games.

West Ham made the breakthrough in the third minute of the match through Lucas Paqueta, who found the bottom corner with a brilliant strike from distance after a mistake from Nicolas Dominguez, with the Argentine misplacing a pass in a dangerous area.

Forest came incredibly close to a leveller in the 12th minute through Taiwo Awoniyi, who headed towards the far corner, but West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola made a wonderful diving save.

Paqueta had another chance on the break two minutes later, but he chose the wrong option when off-balance, firing into the arms of Odysseas Vlachodimos when the pass to Jarrod Bowen looked the better option.

Edson Alvarez sent one wide of the post in the 38th minute, as West Ham searched for a second before the interval, but Forest were looking dangerous on the break, with Anthony Elanga's pace and movement in a wide area causing problems for the home side's defence.

Forest managed to level the scores in the final stages of the first half, with Awoniyi managing to turn the ball into the back of the net from close range after Areola had saved from Morgan Gibbs-White.

The visitors had a brilliant chance to take the lead early in the second period following excellent link-up play between Elanga and Awoniyi, but the latter just fired wide of the post at the vital moment.

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Emerson Palmieri then struck just wide of the post down the other end of the field, before Gibbs-White fired over the crossbar at the end of another quick counter-attack from Forest.

The visitors took the lead in the 63rd minute of the match with a goal from Elanga, who picked out the bottom corner from inside the box after being picked out by Ola Aina.

However, West Ham were level less than two minutes later, with Bowen heading a corner from James Ward-Prowse into the back of the net from close range.

The Hammers then hit the crossbar, with Soucek lifting the ball against the woodwork after the ball had broken kindly for the hosts inside the Forest penalty box.

Forest goalkeeper Vlachodimos made a brilliant save to keep out a header from Soucek in the 85th minute after the midfielder had met a delivery from Ward-Prowse.

Soucek was not to be denied, though, finding the back of the net with a towering header in the 88th minute after another excellent set-piece from Ward-Prowse.

Areola made an excellent late save to deny Divock Origi, before West Ham passed up some late opportunities on the break to score a fourth, but Soucek's header proved to be the winner in the English capital.

West Ham will be back in action away to Burnley after the international break, while Forest's next league contest is at home to Brighton & Hove Albion towards the end of the month.