Nottingham Forest vs AFC Bournemouth Predictions

• Forest have won two league matches at the City Ground in 2024
• Bournemouth had the best away record of any side that finished in the bottom half, winning 21 points
• The Cherries edged to a 3-2 victory in this fixture last season, with the now-departed Dominic Solanke bagging a hat-trick

Tricky Trees and Cherries and get first points on the board

Both Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth could be in for troublesome campaigns but the two sides could get off to a good start when they go head-to-head at the City Ground on Saturday.

Forest finished 17th and six points clear of the relegation zone last season and manager Nuno Espirito Santo will be under a lot of pressure to produce better results this time around, with the former Wolves and Tottenham boss winning just seven of his 26 matches in charge of the club since taking over in December.

Bournemouth proved to be a difficult opponent for many sides last season as they finished a more than respectable 12th. However, the sale of striker Dominic Solanke to Tottenham could be key to whether Andoni Iraola’s men are brought into a relegation battle this season – particularly given the Englishman netted 19 goals in the Premier League last term.

With both sides desperate to start the campaign in a positive fashion, there may be very little to separate the two this weekend. Two of the last three meetings have ended in 1-1 draws and a repeat of this result looks a tempting prospect in the correct score market.

Wood can keep Tricky Tees in it

Taiwo Awoniyi largely struggled with fitness issues last season while the likes of Emmanuel Dennis and Divock Origi failed to lead the line with much success.

It therefore may fall again to the experienced Kiwi Chris Wood to deliver the goods for Forest in front of goal and his exploits from last season should give the City Ground faithful hope that he can continue his form into the new campaign.

The 32-year-old scored a healthy 14 goals in the Premier League last season – his best top-flight return since netting 14 for Burnley in the 2019/20 campaign – and he has also scored three goals in five pre-season appearances for the Tricky Trees.

Wood’s experience with relegation dogfights could be invaluable for Forest this season and he looks a good bet to start off the new campaign with a goal.