Nottingham Forest will look to get the Nuno Espirito Santo era underway with a bang when they host Bournemouth at the City Ground on Saturday.
The games are coming thick and fast during the festive period, with Gameweek 18 of the 2023/23 Premier League season kicking off only a day after the fourth EFL Cup quarter-final. Saturday will serve us seven fixtures, one of which will see Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth locking horns at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest parted ways with Steve Cooper this week after a six-match losing run brought them close to the relegation zone. Nuno Espirito Santo has replaced the fan favourite at the City Ground, with the Portuguese tactician taking charge of his first match this weekend.
As for Bournemouth, the Andoni Iraola experiment has been yielding the desired results. The Cherries were disastrous in the first quarter of the 2023/24 season, struggling to rack up the points. But Iraola’s men are among the most in-form teams in the Premier League after going on a five-game unbeaten run, which has lifted them to 14th on the table, ten clear of the drop zone. Meanwhile, their game last weekend did not finish after Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest. It will be replayed at a later date.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Bournemouth come from two goals down to beat Nottingham Forest 3-2, with Jaidon Anthony scoring the match-winning goal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Nottingham Forest
Nuno Espirito Santo will have greeted positive updates on the team news front ahead of his first game at the City Ground. Against Bournemouth on Saturday, the new Nottingham Forest boss should be bereft of the services of only one first-team player.
Taiwo Awoniyi is the only player in the treatment room, with a groin injury keeping him on the sidelines for the foreseeable future. But Felipe, Serge Aurier, and Ibrahim Sangare are in contention to feature, although they face late fitness tests to determine their availability.
Matt Turner should return between the sticks after dropping to the bench last weekend. Nottingham Forest will line up in a 3-5-2 formation against Bournemouth, with Nuno Espirito Santo stamping his authority from the first game. Willy Boly, Moussa Niakhate, and Murillo should form the central defensive trifecta.
As for the midfield unit, Danilo, Ryan Yates, and Orel Mangala should form a defensive-minded trifecta. The trio will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park, allowing the wing-backs the freedom to express themselves in the final third.
Speaking of the wing-backs, Neco Williams and Harry Toffolo should man the flanks for the home side. They will provide the width in the offensive third, with their deliveries bringing the attackers into the picture. Finally, Morgan Gibbs-White and Anthony Elanga should be the two “strikers”, with the duo forming a fluid attacking pair.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Turner; Boly, Niakhate, Murillo; Williams, Yates, Danilo, Mangala, Toffolo; Gibbs-White, Elanga
Bournemouth
Unlike his counterpart in the Nottingham Forest dugout, Andoni Iraola has a plethora of roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to the City Ground. The Bournemouth boss might be without as many as nine first-team players on Saturday.
Max Aarons (hamstring), Ryan Fredericks (calf), Tyler Adams (thigh), and Emiliano Marondes (ankle) will play no part against Nottingham Forest. Meanwhile, Iraola is sweating over the fitness of Darren Randolph (illness), Milos Kerkez (ankle), Hamed Traore (illness), Lloyd Kelly (thigh), and Antoine Semenyo (knock).
The quintet will face late fitness tests to determine their availability. But Kerkez should be fit and available, taking his spot in the backline alongside Adam Smith, Illia Zabarnyi, and Marcos Senesi. Neto will feature between the sticks, with Bournemouth lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him.
As for the midfield unit, Lewis Cook and Ryan Christie will hold the fort in the middle of the park. Philip Billing will reprise the no. 10 role, with the Dane having a free role in the final third. The in-form Dominic Solanke will spearhead the attack against Nottingham Forest, with Justin Kluivert and Marcus Tavernier being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neto; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Cook, Christie; Tavernier, Billing, Kluivert; Solanke
Key Stats
- Nottingham Forest have not won any of their last six league games against Bournemouth (D2 L4).
- Nottingham Forest have lost five of their most recent six league games, with their most recent win coming at the start of November.
- Bournemouth have taken 13 points from the most recent 15 available. The Cherries are aiming to win four Premier League away matches in a row for the first time.
- Nottingham Forest have scored a league-high six goals in the opening 15 minutes of games in the Premier League this season. But the Tricky Trees are the only side yet to score in the 90th minute or later in this league campaign.
- Nottingham Forest have not won any of their last 13 Premier League games that Taiwo Awoniyi has not played in (D5 L8) since a 1-0 home victory over Leeds United in February.
Player to Watch
Dominic Solanke
Bournemouth’s recent run has justified the board’s decision to appoint Andoni Iraola as the new manager ahead of the 2023/24 season. Dominic Solanke, in particular, has driven the team’s upturn in fortunes in the last few weeks.
The 26-year-old is one of the most in-form players in the Premier League, with only four players have scored more goals than him this season. In addition, Solanke has a solid record against Nottingham Forest, having found the back of the net once while registering two assists in his last two league outings at the City Ground. Another game-changing performance by the Englishman should be on the cards on Saturday.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 1-2 Bournemouth
Nuno Espirito Santo’s arrival might trigger the famous new manager bounce. But form also counts for something, with Bournemouth being one of the top performers in the Premier League in the last few weeks. In addition, Nottingham Forest’s record against talismanic striker Taiwo Awoniyi is dreadful.
So, the odds are stacking up against Nottingham Forest, with Nuno Espirito Santo bracing himself for a trial by fire at the City Ground. While the hosts should take the game to the Cherries, they will not have enough quality to take anything from the match. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for Andoni Iraola and his charges.