Nottingham Forest open season at home against Bournemouth: 'We know their quality'
Nottingham Forest kick off their Premier League campaign with a home fixture against Bournemouth on Saturday 17 August at 15:00 (GMT+1) at the City Ground. After a difficult previous season in which the Tricky Trees finished just four points above the relegation zone, manager Nuno Espírito Santo is hoping for a flying start to the new campaign.
Nuno reflects on successful pre-season
Nottingham Forest enter the new Premier League season with a home clash against Bournemouth, and cautious optimism surrounds the club following a solid pre-season. Last term, Forest only narrowly escaped relegation, finishing just four points clear of eighteenth place. Manager Nuno Espírito Santo is determined to make this season a different story. Pre-season largely went to plan: across six friendlies, Forest suffered just one defeat, a 0-1 loss to Spanish side Elche. 'It was one of our key objectives during the training camp to work on things we don't normally have time for — tactically, mentally and physically,' said Nuno, who described the tour as a success. In attack, the Portuguese head coach is expected to rely on Chris Wood within a 4-2-3-1 system.
Difficult statistics heading into the opening fixture
Despite the encouraging pre-season, the historical record makes for less comfortable reading for Forest. In their last eight competitive meetings with Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest have failed to win a single game, drawing three and losing five. On top of that, the club has lost the opening match of the season in each of the last five campaigns. Nevertheless, Nuno refuses to be discouraged. 'We know Bournemouth are a strong side. Dominic Solanke is a good player who won't be available, but they have quality throughout the entire squad,' the manager said at his pre-match press conference, before going on to discuss the new arrivals Forest have brought in this season.
Bournemouth travel to the City Ground with ambition
Bournemouth finished just one point outside the top ten last season and are aiming even higher this time around, backed by a string of summer reinforcements. The Cherries brought in Luis Sinisterra from Leeds United, while Enes Ünal arrived for €16 million from Getafe. Right-back Julián Araujo also bolstered the squad following a €10 million move from Barcelona. It will be only the second time the two clubs have faced each other in a league opener; the first ended in a goalless draw in the League One curtain-raiser of the 2007-08 season. Manager Andoni Iraola, 42, will have to do without his star striker Dominic Solanke, who departed for Tottenham Hotspur for a considerable fee of €64 million. The Spanish coach is also expected to set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Semenyo leading the line. Bournemouth furthermore travel to Nottingham without three players, including new signing Enes Ünal. Despite this, Iraola has a squad that has gone unbeaten in their last four season openers, winning two and drawing two.
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Source: Sportmonks
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