Bournemouth will host Nottingham Forest at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday, looking to get back to winning ways at home.
Bournemouth have failed to win their last three league matches, losing two matches in that time ahead of the visit of Nottingham Forest. They were on an impressive run of form prior to that and will look to bounce back strongly.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest are 16th in the league table, and they are coming into this game on the back of two consecutive defeats. They will need to bounce back strongly as they look to steer clear of the relegation zone. Both teams will fancy their chances against each other, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.
Bournemouth have an impressive head-to-head record against Nottingham Forest, and it remains to be seen whether the opposite can pull off an upset here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team news and tactics
Bournemouth
The home team have a number of injury issues heading into this game. Andoni Iraola will be without the services of Tyler Adams, Hamed Traore, Ryan Fredericks, Max Aarons, Darren Randolph, and James Hill.
Bournemouth will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Neto in goal. Adam Smith and Milos Kerkez will start as the full-backs, and they will look to help out defensively and contribute during counter-attacks. Illia Zabarnyi will form the central defensive partnership alongside Marcos Senesi.
AS for the midfield unit, Lewis Cook will start alongside Ryan Christie in the double pivot. The two players will look to work hard defensively and break up opposition attacks. Alex Scott will start as the central attacking midfielder here, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack and create goal scoring opportunities for his side.
Antoine Semenyo and Marcus Tavernier will start in the wide areas. The two players will look to add creativity and flair to the side. Finally, Dominic Solanke will lead the line for Bournemouth against Nottingham Forest.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neto; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Cook, Christie; Semenyo, Scott, Tavernier; Solanke
Nottingham Forest
The visitors will be without Ola Aina, Ibrahim Sangare, Serge Aurier, and Willy Boly. All four players are away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations. Meanwhile, Divock Origi is ruled out with a groin injury.
Meanwhile, Moussa Niakhate and Cheikhou Kouyate are doubts after their participation at AFCON. Nottingham Forest will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, like Bournemouth, with Matt Turner in goal.
Gonzalo Montiel and Harry Toffolo will start as the full-backs here. They will look to keep things compact at the back and protect the central defenders. Andrew Omobamidele will start alongside Murillo at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Ryan Yates will start alongside Danilo in the double pivot. The two players will look to win the ball back for their side and break down the opposition’s attacking moves.
Morgan Gibbs-White will start in the central attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates and add creativity and to drive to the side. Anthony Elanga and Nicolas Dominguez should feature in the wide areas. The two players will look to add pace and flair from the flanks. Taiwo Awoniyi will lead the line for Nottingham Forest.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Turner; Montiel, Omobamidele, Murillo, Toffolo; Yates, Danilo; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Dominguez; Awoniyi
Key Stats
- Bournemouth are undefeated in their last seven matches against Nottingham Forest in all competitions.
- 16 goals have been scored in the last six matches between Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest.
- Nottingham Forest have lost four of their last six league matches.
- Bournemouth are winless in their last three league matches.
- Dominic Solanke has been involved in six goals in his last four league appearances against Nottingham Forest, including scoring a hat-trick in the Cherries’ 3-2 win in this season’s reverse fixture.
Player to Watch
Dominic Solanke
The 26-year-old has been in spectacular form this season, and he has scored 15 goals across all competitions. Solanke will look to continue in his rich vein of form and make his mark on this game.
Nottingham Forest have been vulnerable defensively, and Solanke certainly has the quality to exploit that. The Bournemouth striker has scored eight goals in his last nine appearances, and he is our key player to watch out for.
Prediction
Bournemouth 2-1 Nottingham Forest
The home team will be the favourites heading into this game. Bournemouth were in impressive form just over a week ago and will look to bounce back strongly. On the other hand, Nottingham Forest are on a losing run, and they have a poor record against Bournemouth as well.
The Cherries have the quality to exploit the away side’s defensive vulnerabilities, and they should be able to grind out a narrow win here. The Hard Tackle predicts Andoni Iraola and his charges to return to winning ways by beating Nottingham Forest 2-1 on Sunday.