Nottingham vs Bournemouth prediction: ENGLAND: Premier League betting tips on match 2024-08-16 14:00.
[p]Nottingham Forest will be hoping for a calmer Premier League campaign after their 2023/24 season saw them sack popular manager Steve Cooper and receive a four-point deduction for financial irregularities. His replacement Nuno EspĂrito Santo eventually navigated them to safety by six points, and he’ll be raring to go ahead of his first full season in charge.[/p]
[p]An impressive 4-3 friendly win over UEFA Europa Conference League champions Olympiacos concluded what was a solid pre-season for Forest, and that should stand them in good stead as they look to replicate their unbeaten run across their first five home league games last season (W2, D3). That may be tricky against Bournemouth though, a side who Forest haven’t beaten in any of the last eight H2Hs (D3, L5). [/p]
[p]Bournemouth also changed managers last season, but were rewarded more handsomely than Forest as Andoni Iraola guided them to a respectable 12th-place finish despite losing their last three games of the season. The ÂŁ65 million sale of striker Dominic Solanke to Tottenham reduces their firepower dramatically, although they are trying to sign extra attackers having formally completed the permanent signing of Luis Sinisterra from Leeds this summer.[/p]
[p]That reinforcement is needed because goals were sparse on the road last term as the Cherries failed to score more than once in each of their last five league away fixtures (W1, L4). Not that they’ve struggled in the East Midlands in particular, as they’ve won their last three visits to The City Ground by a one-goal margin while scoring an average of 2.67 goals per game.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Chris Wood ended last season with a brace for Forest against Burnley and his last four Premier League goals all arrived inside the first 30 minutes, although he netted in this fixture last term after the break. If Sinisterra is to get on the scoresheet for Bournemouth, it could be late on as three of his last four club strikes came after the 70th minute.[/p]
[p]Hot streak: Each of Bournemouth’s last four Premier League openers produced exactly two goals (W2, D2).[/p]
[p][i]Written by John Pennington[/i][/p]