2022-23 Premier League: Week Six – Nottingham Forest vs Bournemouth

Nottingham Forest meet Bournemouth at the City Ground in a clash between two promoted teams. 

Both teams enter this match locked on four points with Forest ahead on goal difference meaning that victory would move either team further away from the relegation zone.

 

Team News

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Forest have no fresh injury concerns to report as Orel Mangala (hamstring), Moussa Niakhate (thigh) and Omar Richards (leg) remain absent.

Deadline day signing, Willy Boly could be in contention for his Forest debut.

Bournemouth could hand new loan signing, Jack Stephens his first start for the club.

Ben Pearson (abductor), Joe Rothwell (quad), Junior Stanislas (groin) and David Brooks (fitness) remain ruled out.

 

Stat Attack

• This is Forest’s first Premier League meeting against Bournemouth.
• Bournemouth have won just one of their last seven visits to the City Ground (W1, D4, L2) – winning 2-1 on their last trip in August 2021 in Sky Bet Championship last season.
• Forest have kept just two clean sheets in their last 10 meetings against Bournemouth in all competitions (W2, D3, L5).
• No English goalkeeper has conceded more goals in the opening four match weeks of this season than Forest’s Dean Henderson (11).
• Bournemouth’s Mark Travers has conceded more goals than any other goalkeeper in the opening four match weeks of this season (16).

 

Prediction

Wednesday’s trip to Manchester City was always going to be brutal but if we look beyond their 6-0 defeat, Forest can be proud of their performance because they took a fight to Man City at various times across the match even when down and out but were just defensively outclassed.

Bournemouth meanwhile produced a solid midweek defensive response to last weekend’s crushing loss at Liverpool with a decent clean sheet against Wolves, despite getting outplayed in attack although their own attacking moves were positive which should give them fresh confidence here.

Both teams however were promoted this summer and with the transfer window now shut, this match will be interesting of understanding where both teams sit quality wise, although I have a feeling that Forest’s heavy investment in fresh quality could well make a difference in front of a vocal home crowd.

Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-0 Bournemouth

Result: Nottingham Forest 2-3 Bournemouth