Nottingham Forest FC vs AFC Bournemouth, English Premier League 2025-26, Today Match Prediction

Nottingham Forest FC vs AFC Bournemouth Match Prediction & Analysis

Bournemouth travel to the City Ground on Sunday (8:30 PM IST) with their sights firmly set on securing European football for next season. The Cherries head into the contest full of confidence after earning a hard-fought draw against Manchester City in their previous outing. 

Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, will be eager to sign off at home on a positive note and bounce back after a narrow defeat in their last match. With both sides carrying plenty of motivation, this promises to be an intriguing battle.

Current Standings: Bournemouth sit in the top half of the table in sixth position with 56 points, while Forest find themselves in 16th spot with 43 points.

Head-to-Head Record: These sides have met only seven times, but Bournemouth hold the upper hand with four wins, while Nottingham are yet to taste victory, settling for three draws instead. 

TEAMS PREVIEW

Nottingham Forest FC Preview

Nottingham Forest wrapped up their away campaign with a spirited 3-2 defeat to Manchester United in an entertaining contest, though the result carried little consequence after safety had already been secured following their draw against Newcastle on Matchday 36.

The match also marked Morgan Gibbs-White’s return to the starting lineup after missing several games, and the midfielder made an immediate impact by finding the net despite playing in a protective mask. 

While his week ended with disappointment after missing out on England’s World Cup squad, Forest will hope that setback motivates one of their key performers, who has contributed 18 goal involvements (14G+4A) this season in the league, to help finish the campaign on a positive note.

Stats that matter 

1. The defeat against Manchester United ended Forest’s unbeaten run of eight Premier League games.
2. The Tricky Trees have won their final league game in just one of the last six seasons (D2 L3).
3. Morgan Gibbs-White has been involved in 10 goals in his last nine league appearances (8G+2A). 

Team News 

For the Tricky Trees, Murillo and Ola Aina are ruled out for Sunday’s clash, while uncertainty still surrounds Dan Ndoye’s return timeline.

Nottingham Forest  Probable XI - Sels (GK); Cunha, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, Hutchinson, Elliott Anderson, Gibbs-White, Dominguez, Igor Jesus, Wood. 

AFC Bournemouth Preview

Bournemouth’s draw against Manchester City on Matchday 37 turned into a dramatic  Premier League evening for several reasons. After Eli Junior Kroupi’s early goal had them dreaming of victory, they were denied by a dramatic 94th-minute equaliser. The result also had major title implications, effectively ending City’s hopes of catching Arsenal in the race for the Premier League crown.

For the Cherries, however, the point all but secured a historic first taste of European football, while their outside hopes of Champions League qualification still remain alive under the right circumstances. 

More importantly, Bournemouth arrive for the season finale full of belief, carrying an impressive 17-match unbeaten run in the league that underlines just how difficult they have become to beat.

Stats that matter 

1. Bournemouth's 17-game unbeaten run is the third longest run by a non-title winning side at the end of a Premier League campaign.
2. The Cherries have drawn 17 league games this season, the joint-most of any side in a 38-game campaign.
3. Bournemouth are on a three-match winning streak away from home in the league. 

Team News

Ryan Christie will remain unavailable as he continues to serve his suspension following a red card, while Julio Soler is still sidelined through injury.

Bournemouth Probable XI - Petrovic (GK); Smith, Hill, Senesi, Truffert, Adams, Scott, Rayan, Kroupi, Tavernier, Evanilson 

NOTTINGHAM FOREST FC vs AFC BOURNEMOUTH
Winning Prediction

Bournemouth head into Sunday’s clash against Nottingham Forest as clear favourites, boasting an unbeaten record in their last seven Premier League meetings with the Tricky Trees, including dominant 7-0 aggregate wins across the last two encounters. However, those results came at home, and this time they face a sterner test on the road.

Forest, despite their recent setback, had built an eight-game unbeaten run earlier and remain strong at the City Ground, unbeaten in their last four home matches. With that in mind, this promises to be a tighter contest than the head-to-head suggests, but Bournemouth’s consistency gives them the edge, and we back the visitors to prevail. 

AFC Bournemouth to win (3-2)

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