Nottingham Forest vs. Bournemouth: EPL Season Opener Preview and Prediction

Two sides looking to build on strong finishes to last season get their campaigns underway at the City Ground today as Nottingham Forest host Bournemouth.

Now into their third consecutive term in the EPL, Forest fans will be hoping for a more settled season this time out after two rollercoaster campaigns overshadowed by scattergun recruitment and unwanted flirtation with relegation. Boss Nuno Espirito Santo has managed to keep hold of key stars Murillo and Morgan Gibbs-White, while also making some exciting summer additions in the form of Serbian defender Nikola Milenković and tricky Portuguese winger Jota Silva.

After a worryingly slow start to last season, Bournemouth become one of the most in-form sides in the second half of the campaign under boss Andoni Iraola. An improvement on their 12th place finish will likely depend on how well they replace star striker Dominic Solanke who joined Spurs in a £65m deal last week.

Key Matchup: Forest's Defense Against Bournemouth's Attack

Nottingham Forest’s defense was one of their biggest weaknesses last season, conceding 67 goals. They’ve addressed this by signing Nikola Milenkovic, but it remains to be seen if they’ll be able to hold off Bournemouth’s potent attack. Bournemouth’s attack is going to be missing Dominic Solanke, but they’ve brought in Turkish striker Enes Unal who could be a capable replacement.

What to Watch For

The impact of new signings: Both teams have made key signings this summer, and it will be interesting to see how they perform in their first Premier League games.
The absence of Dominic Solanke: Solanke was a key player for Bournemouth last season, scoring 19 goals. It will be interesting to see how Bournemouth cope without him.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s first full season at the helm: Santo took over as manager in December, and he’ll be hoping to steer Nottingham Forest to a more successful season.

Predictions

The first game of the Premier League season is always a bit unpredictable, but based on the team’s performances last season and their summer transfer activity, I think Bournemouth will start the season with a win.

Chris Sutton’s Prediction:

Sutton, the BBC Sport prediction expert, believes that Nottingham Forest will edge out Bournemouth, predicting a 2-1 victory for the Tricky Trees.

Liam Fray’s Prediction:

Liam Fray, the frontman of The Courteeners, is more bullish on Bournemouth’s chances. He sees the Cherries winning 1-2, citing Bournemouth’s strong form in the second half of last season and their ability to replace Solanke’s goals.

NBC Sports’ Prediction:

NBC Sports thinks that Bournemouth will be too strong for Nottingham Forest, predicting a 1-3 victory for the Cherries. They highlight Bournemouth’s strong attack and Nottingham Forest’s defensive vulnerabilities as key factors.

How to Watch the Game

Nottingham Forest host AFC Bournemouth on Saturday, Aug. 17, at the City Ground, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. BST local time, making it a 10 a.m. ET or 7 a.m. PT start in the US and Canada and a 12 a.m. AEST kickoff in the early hours of Sunday in Australia.

Below, we'll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game as it happens wherever you are in the world.

In the UK: Due to the traditional Saturday 3 p.m. kickoff blackout, no broadcaster has the rights to show this game live in the UK. You can use a VPN to change your location and access a stream from another country, though.
In the US: The game is streaming on Peacock. You’ll need a Peacock Premium or Premium Plus account to catch the game live.
In Canada: You’ll need to subscribe to Fubo Canada to watch the game live.
In Australia: Aussie soccer fans can watch EPL matches live on streaming service Optus Sport.

Final Thoughts

The Premier League is back, and it looks to be another exciting season. Be sure to tune in to this match to watch how the two teams perform in their season openers, and let me know your predictions for the match in the comments section.