Nottingham Forest vs Bournemouth Prediction and Betting Tips: Chris Wood backed to fire
Two sides that have made major headlines in the summer transfer window go head-to-head on the opening weekend of the Premier League season as Nottingham Forest take on Bournemouth.
The match kicks off at 3pm on Saturday 16th August and takes place at The City Ground in Nottingham, with highlights available to watch on Match of the Day on the BBC later that evening.
Nottingham Forest vs Bournemouth Predictions
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After suffering a four-point deduction and finishing 17th - six points above the relegation zone - Forest will be hoping for a better and less dramatic season this time around.
Nuno Espirito Santo, one of the early favourites in the Sack Race, has had a troublesome tenure since taking charge of the club in December, with the Portuguese manager possessing a current win percentage of just 26.92% - the lowest in his managerial career.
To rectify this situation Nuno has splashed the cash in this window, with the signings of midfielder Elliot Anderson from Newcastle and defender Nikola Milenkovic from Fiorentina for a combined £47.6 million
Bournemouth enjoyed a much more successful campaign last time out as the Cherries finished 12th and closer to a European position than the bottom three.
Many fans will have been hoping for a similar story this time around, however the sale of Dominic Solanke - who scored 19 league goals last season - could hit the south coast side hard.
Avoiding defeat could be the aim of the day for both of these sides and, given recent history between the two, meaning a draw may be on the cards at the City Ground.
Two of the last three meetings between the clubs have ended level - both of which finished 1-1 - and five of the last six encounters have seen both sides find the back of the net.
Forest’s home form last season left a lot to be desired, with just two victories in front of their own fans registered in 2024 whereas Bournemouth possessed the best away record of any side that finished in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
However, the loss of Solanke to Tottenham could be a big hurdle to overcome and it may take time for Andoni Iraola and Bournemouth to get used to his absence and so a draw may be the best they can hope for.
Taiwo Awoniyi spent much of last season in the treatment room and Chris Wood led the line amicably in his absence, scoring 14 league goals and laying on one assist.
That was his best goalscoring return in the top-flight since the 2019/20 season with Burnley and, while Awoniyi is fit and available for selection, the Kiwi may be preferred to start up top once again.
Wood netted in this fixture last season and has also been strong in pre-season with three goals from five friendly appearances and looks a tempting option at 2/1 in the goalscorer market.
Check out our tips for the Premier League Golden Boot, including a 100/1 each-way shout.
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