Bournemouth Up to Second with Victory Over Dyche’s Forest

At a glance

• Sean Dyche’s first Premier League game in charge of Nottingham Forest ends in defeat
• Marcus Tavernier scores directly from a corner to put Bournemouth ahead
• Eli Junior Kroupi doubles Cherries’ lead with powerful long-range drive
• Andoni Iraola’s side climb to second in the Premier League

Sean Dyche’s first Premier League game in charge of Nottingham Forest ended in defeat as Bournemouth moved up to second in the Premier League with a thoroughly deserved victory.

Forest, 2-0 winners over Porto in the Europa League on Thursday, were comfortably second best at Vitality Stadium, but they fell behind in unconventional circumstances when Marcus Tavernier’s corner sailed over goalkeeper Matz Sels and straight into the net.

Forest were aggrieved at the decision to award Bournemouth a corner in the first place, with Tavernier’s cross appearing to hit Neco Williams and rebound off the Bournemouth winger’s foot before looping out of play.

There was little the visitors could do about Bournemouth’s second, though, as Eli Junior Kroupi collected a loose ball before arrowing a low shot into the bottom corner from 30 yards for his fourth goal in three Cherries appearances.

While the second half was less of a mismatch, Bournemouth’s lead rarely looked under threat as the visitors struggled to mount any sort of fightback.

They almost reduced the arrears through Morgan Gibbs-White late in the second half, but goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic produced a fine one-handed save to deny the England international.

The win moves Andoni Iraola’s team four points behind leaders Arsenal, while Forest remain in the relegation zone after suffering their sixth league defeat of the campaign.

Forest analysis: Long road ahead for Dyche

Set against the backdrop of Ange Postecoglou’s disastrous reign, the atmosphere prior to Forest’s Europa League win over Porto felt like a breath of fresh air as the home fans showed their support for former Burnley and Everton boss Dyche.

Sunday’s defeat, however, only served to underline the magnitude of the task facing the 54-year-old at Forest – although better teams will come unstuck at Vitality Stadium this season.

The visitors struggled to match the Cherries’ trademark intensity in the first half, managing only one touch inside the Bournemouth half and only one shot on target – through full-back Williams.

Forest were rightly frustrated at the officials’ decision not to award a goal-kick in the build-up to Bournemouth’s opener, but Sels will have to take his share of the blame for Tavernier’s goal, despite being nudged by Tyler Adams as the ball sailed over his head.

Dyche responded to his team’s insipid first-half display by replacing Douglas Luiz, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Igor Jesus with Ryan Yates, Omari Hutchinson and Taiwo Awoniyi at the interval – and the visitors certainly started the second period with greater urgency.

But Gibbs-White’s late effort was by far their best opportunity of the contest, leaving Dyche with plenty to ponder before next weekend’s game at home to in-form Manchester United.

Bournemouth analysis: Kroupi shines as Cherries continue fine start

The biggest compliment you can give Bournemouth is that their rise to second place has come as little surprise.

Iraola’s team have been magnificent since their opening-day defeat by Liverpool, and in Kroupi their appear to have unearthed another gem to shoulder the goalscoring burden in the absence of injured first-choice frontman Evanilson.

The 19-year-old former Lorient striker followed up his double at Crystal Palace last weekend with a rocket into the bottom corner, becoming the first Frenchman to score in three consecutive Premier League appearances since Jean-Philippe Mateta back in January.

Bournemouth took their foot off the gas after half-time but could have added a late third when a free-flowing counter-attack ended with Ryan Christie’s attempted back-heel into David Brooks being intercepted by Elliot Anderson.

After the Cherries’ scintillating start to the season, talks over a new contract for manager Iraola will be top of the agenda for Bournemouth owner Bill Foley, who was in attendance at Vitality Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Iraola, who has been linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs in recent months, is under contract at Bournemouth until the end of the 2025-26 season.

What’s next for these teams?

Bournemouth travel to Manchester City in their next game on Sunday, 2 November before another away match at Aston Villa on Sunday, 9 November.

After welcoming Manchester United to the City Ground on Saturday, 1 November, Forest resume their Europa League campaign with a trip to Austrian outfit Sturm Graz on Thursday, 6 November.

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Source: BBC