Bournemouth looking up after rout of Forest
SLOW AND STEADY: Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola.
BOURNEMOUTH 5 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 0
IT is a measure of the unexpected progress made by both these teams this season that the meeting at the Vitality Stadium was one of the most anticipated of the weekend.
Back in August, a January meeting between these two teams would have been viewed as likely to be a bottom-half tussle unlikely to attract much attention beyond the supporters of both clubs. And anyone who suggests they predicted the fixture would mark a clash between side challenging for a Champions League spot will almost certainly have their fingers crossed behind their back.
The unpredictable nature of this season, however, meant that’s exactly what it was. Two upwardly mobile sides coming together after months spent upsetting the established order.
Forest’s outstanding run of form has raised questions about how far they can go this season and prompted references to Leicester City’s astonishing title success eight years ago. Bournemouth have advanced steadily, if slightly less dramatically, but Saturday’s victory moved them to within four points of Nuno Espirito Santo’s side and ensured they are now very much part of the conversation about who will finally claim a place in Europe next season.
With Brentford and Fulham also over-achieving and Brighton showing signs of the form that took them into the Europa League two seasons ago, the Premier League table carries an unfamiliar look. It is Forest and Bournemouth though who are leading the charge for the unfancied clubs attempting to punch through the hidden barriers that have separated groups of clubs within the division. And on Saturday’s performance, it was hard to make a case that Bournemouth don’t deserve their place among the leading group.
The two clubs may have developed in different ways since winning promotion in 2022 - Forest have had a bigger turnover within the squad while Bournemouth’s transformation has been more steady - but both are reaping the benefits of engaging high-quality coaches who can bring the best out of well recruited players. As models to follow, they offer plenty of lessons and, importantly, hope for other clubs not used to breaking free of an annual battle against relegation.
Andoni Iraola had already won plenty of admirers for his work at the Vitality Stadium last season when he steered the club to a 12th place finish. This season, he has further improved his side, despite losing striker Dominic Solanke to Spurs last summer.
Unbeaten since the end of November, Iraola’s team have collected a number of scalps including Arsenal, Manchester City and Newcastle who they beat 4-1 at St James’ Park a week before the ruthless dismantling of Forest. Impressively the last two results have been achieved despite a long injury list that includes the club’s two recognised strikers.
Iraola has improvised and on Saturday, Justin Kluivert carried on from his hat-trick at Newcastle with the opening goal before winger Dango Ouattara, operating as a central striker, claimed his own treble before Antoine Semenyo added the fifth.
The challenge is to maintain their form and standing in the league but Kepa Arrizabalaga insists it is too early to set overly ambitious targets.
“We are focusing on our position,” said the Bournemouth keeper. “That’s the most important thins. Of course when you are facing a team which is doing very, very good this season also they were third. Obviously you are conscious that it’s a big game. They were seven points ahead of us so if they win today it’s ten points. It’s a big gap. So we were aware because we want to be as high as we can.” He added: “I said a couple of weeks ago, we will go day by day, we will go game by game. And when we arrive to May and we are about the last three, four or five games, we will see where we are and then we will have a clear target. But until that moment let’s enjoy, let’s go day by day and hopefully with this performance like today, we’ll be closer.”
This was not the game to judge Forest by. After establishing a reputation for a miserly defence, they suddenly appeared fragile. Nuno will hope this was an aberration and the body of evidence beforehand suggests they will move on from this defeat. The manager’s diagnosis was that they lost their compactness and were exposed by a better side. It was impossible to disagree.
The demands of a gruelling season will no doubt be felt by both clubs the coming months but their success so far has been built on sound footings - Forest’s display on Saturday notwithstanding. If one or both of these sides can quality for European football, it would be an outstanding, and welcome, achievement.
Kepa 6; Cook 7, Zabarnyi 7, Huijsen 8, Kerkez 7; Adams 7, Christie 8; Brooks 6 (Tavernier 79, 6), Kluivert 8 (Jebbison,90,6), Semenyo 8; Ouattara 9 (Silcott-Duberry 90, 6).
Subs not used: Travers, Adu-Adjei, Akinmboni, Winterburn, Kinsey, Rees-Dottin.
: Sels 6; Aina 5 (Sosa 79,6), Milenkovic 4, Murillo 4, Williams 5 (Moreno 66,6); Yates 5 (Domínguez 46,6), Anderson 6; Elanga 6, Gibbs-White 6 (Awoniyi 79,6), Silva 5 (Morato 66,6); Wood 6.
Subs not used: Miguel, Toffolo, Ward-Prowse, Boly.
: Craig Pawson 6
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