Premier League | Gameweek 23

Jan 25, 2025 at 3pm UK

Vitality Stadium

Bournemouth vs Nott'm Forest

Match preview

Bournemouth have not tasted defeat in any competition since 23 November last year and the Cherries are on an 11-match unbeaten run, which they extended in style last weekend with a deserved 4-1 win at Newcastle United.

Andoni Iraola's side showed no signs of nerves against a Magpies side who had won each of their previous nine matches, and it was Justin Kluivert who stole the headlines with a superb hat-trick, equalling the number of goals scored by his father Patrick Kluivert (one) during his brief spell at St James' Park in 2004-05.

Bournemouth have now added Newcastle to their growing collection of Premier League scalps this season, along with Arsenal (2-0), Manchester City (2-1), Tottenham Hotspur (1-0) and Manchester United (3-0), and Iraola's spirited side will not be deterred by their next two fixtures against Nottingham Forest and Liverpool.

After finishing 12th last season with a club-record 48 points, the Cherries have taken 37 points from 22 games so far this term and sit seventh in the Premier League table, just three points outside the top four and seven adrift of Forest in third.

Bournemouth will fancy their chances of success on Saturday, having not lost any of their previous nine league meetings with Forest (W5 D4) since a 2-1 away defeat in the Championship in February 2015.

Nottingham Forest are on their longest unbeaten run in the Premier League (eight games - W7 D1) since November 1995 (25 games) and their 44 points after 22 games is the second-highest tally at this stage of a top-flight season, behind only 1977-78 (49 points).

Nuno Espirito Santo's men recorded their 13th league win of the campaign after beating bottom side Southampton 3-2 at the City Ground last weekend. The Tricky Trees were given a scare by the Saints as they conceded twice in the final half-hour, but they held on for three precious points to boost their European qualification hopes.

Many will argue that if Arsenal are still in the title race, so are Forest, who are level on points with the Gunners in second and six points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand. Forest are also in a strong position to secure Champions League football for next season as they are six points clear of Man City in fifth place.

Forest have been 1-0 up in 18 of their 22 Premier League games this season, but taking the lead against Bournemouth is not a good omen, as the team scoring first has not won any of the five Premier League meetings between the two sides - although the home side have opened the scoring on all five occasions.

The Tricky Trees will be optimistic heading into the Vitality Stadium, having won each of their last four Premier League away games - the last time they won five in a row as a top-flight club was in January 1989 - while only Liverpool (27) have picked up more points away from home than Nuno's men this season.

Recent Performacne

Bournemouth Premier League form:WDDWDW

Bournemouth form (all competitions):DDWWDW

Nottingham Forest Premier League form:WWWWDW

Nottingham Forest form (all competitions):WWWWDW

Team News

Bournemouth's long injury list includes Evanilson (foot), Enes Unal (ACL), Alex Scott (knee), James Hill (hamstring), Marcos Senesi (thigh), Julian Araujo (thigh), Marcus Tavernier (thigh), Luis Sinisterra (thigh) and Adam Smith (muscle), while Julio Soler is away on international duty with Argentina in the South American U-20 Championship.

Iraola is therefore expected to stick with the same side that beat Newcastle last weekend, with Lewis Cook continuing at right-back alongside Illia Zabarnyi, Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez in the back four.

Antoine Semenyo scored for Bournemouth in the 1-1 draw at Forest in August and will join Kluivert, David Brooks and Dango Ouattara in attack.

As for Nottingham Forest, long-term absentee Ibrahima Sangare (hamstring) remains on the sidelines, while the fitness of winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, who is nursing a groin problem, will be assessed before kick-off.

Either Morgan Gibbs-White or Elliot Anderson could be called upon to operate on the left flank if Hudson-Odoi is sidelined. Anthony Elanga could also move to the left, but is likely to stay on the right.

Chris Wood and Murillo both extended their Forest contracts this week and are expected to start again up front and at the heart of defence respectively, while one change Nuno will consider is recalling Ryan Yates at the expense of Nicolas Dominguez.

Possible starting lineup

Bournemouth possible starting lineup:

Kepa; Cook, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Christie, Adams; Brooks, Kluivert, Semenyo; Ouattara

Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:

Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Yates, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood