Premier League: Is Nottingham Forest’s New Manager Bounce for Real?

Bournemouth vs Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest won their first game under Sean Dyche – their third head coach so far this season after Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou – with a surprising 2-0 result against then-undefeated Porto in the Europa League. The Tricky Trees, who have failed to win in the Premier League since dispatching Brentford on the first matchday, hope to sustain their momentum this weekend. However, it’ll be much easier said than done, as they’ll face a buoyant Bournemouth side at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday.

Since their opening day defeat to Liverpool (4-2), Bournemouth have gone undefeated in their last seven league outings. As a result, Andoni Iraola’s side improved to fourth in the English top-flight standings with 15 points, level with third-seeded Liverpool and four points adrift of top-seeded Arsenal. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest are stuck at 18th place with five points.

The pregame SBOTOP betting odds expect the Cherries to stay unbeaten this weekend, but Dyche’s Nottingham Forest will surely put up a fight.

 

Talking Points

Bournemouth have a new secret weapon

Bournemouth came away with a point in their Selhurst Park showdown against Crystal Palace last time out, as both sides shared the spoils in a 3-3 draw. The Cherries were up 3-2 after Ryan Christie put them ahead in the 89th minute before Jean-Philippe Mateta completed his hat-trick during stoppage time.

While most eyes were on Antoine Semenyo and Justin Kluivert for Bournemouth, it was Eli Junior Kroupi who stood out the most. The 19-year-old striker did well in his first Premier League start, bagging his first brace last Saturday.

Before this, Kroupi, who guided Lorient back to Ligue 1 last term with 13 league goals, has mainly come off the bench, serving as an impact sub. He opened his Cherries account with a much-needed stoppage time equaliser against Leeds United (2-2) last month. With Evanilson sidelined by an injury last week, Kroupi seized his opportunity.

Bournemouth may have unearthed another cog in Andoni Iraola’s well-oiled machine, as Kroupi is coming into his own already. Nottingham Forest will surely have the Frenchman in their scouting report, whether as a starter or as a sub.

 

Nottingham Forest don’t need to rush Wood back

Another unheralded player who has been getting plaudits is Nottingham Forest’s Igor Jesus, who already has five goals this season. The 24-year-old Brazilian, who scored a brace against Real Betis and Swansea last month, replaced the injured Chris Wood in the starting XI against Porto, and he converted a penalty in the second half to put the game beyond reach.

With Jesus doing well and Taiwo Awoniyi in tow, the Tricky Trees can afford to take it easy with Wood, who has been struggling with a knee injury recently. Wood last played in the final 15 minutes of their 3-0 loss to Chelsea, which proved to be Ange Postecoglou’s final game in charge.

Morgan Gibbs-White is another man to watch this weekend. The 25-year-old midfielder finally opened his scoring account this season and will be looking for more.

 

History

Bournemouth are undefeated in their last 10 league matches against Nottingham Forest (W6, D4) since losing both Championship meetings in their 2014-15 promotion campaign. As noted, the Cherries are also unbeaten in their last seven Premier League games (W4, D3), the longest current ongoing run in the competition. It’s their fourth run of at least seven unbeaten games in the English top-flight (with three of those coming under manager Andoni Iraola).

Nottingham Forest are winless in their last seven Premier League games (D2, L5), and they’ve won just one of their last 11 away league games against Bournemouth (D3, L7), beating them 2-1 in the Championship in August 2014. They’ve conceded the joint-most goals in the second half of Premier League matches this season (11).

 

Betting Tip

As mentioned, the Premier League 2025 odds have the Cherries beating the Tricky Trees this Sunday. The hosts are 1.84 favourites to win, whereas the visitors are 3.86 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.33 in the 1X2 market.

Their previous league meeting was a five-goal blowout, but that’s unlikely to happen with Sean Dyche around. Still, there should be enough Premier League 2025 highlights to go by, hence our recommended bet. Bettors can also add Under 2.25 at 2.25, Under 2.50 at 1.96, and even Total Goals 2-3 at 1.98 to the parlay. Moreover, a First Half Correct Score of 1-0 in favour of Bournemouth – the outcome before their previous meeting went 5-0 – also offers decent value at 3.36.

   

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