Bournemouth 2-0 Nottingham Forest: Cherries cruise to club’s best-ever Premier League start

Bournemouth continued their sensational start to the 2025-26 Premier League season with a comfortable 2-0 victory over floundering Nottingham Forest at Vitality Stadium on Sunday.

WATCH — Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest full match replay

Marcus Tavernier and Eli Kroupi scored the goals for Andoni Iraola’s side, handing Sean Dyche a dismal defeat in his PL debut as Forest’s new head coach. Dyche took over for Ange Postecoglou this week after the Aussie was fired for taking just one point from his five league games in charge. Alas, the outcome was all too familiar as Nottingham Forest were held scoreless for the sixth time this season (all of their defeats).

Kroupi has four goals in his last three appearances for Bournemouth, and at one point on Sunday had scored four times in his last 115 minutes of game time. Not a bad start for a 19-year-old, signed for $13 million this summer, with all of 165 PL minutes to his name.

What’s next?

• Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United — Saturday, 11 am ET
• Manchester City vs Bournemouth — Sunday, 11:30 am ET

Bournemouth vs Nottingham Forest live updates - by Andy Edwards

Bournemouth vs Nottingham Forest final score: 2-0

Goalscorers: Marcus Tavernier (25'), Eli Kroupi (40')

GOAL! Bournemouth 2-0 Nottingham Forest: Kroupi smashes one in the bottom corner (40')

Kroupi rockets Bournemouth 2-0 ahead of Forest

Eli Junior Kroupi takes it himself and powers his low-driven effort into the bottom corner of the Nottingham Forest goal to give Bournemouth a 2-0 lead at the Vitality Stadium.

GOAL! Bournemouth 1-0 Nottingham Forest: Tavernier curls his own corner kick home (25')

Tavernier's Olimpico gives Bournemouth lead

It's a stunning goal for Bournemouth as Marcus Tavernier curls in his corner kick into the far post to give the Cherries a shock 1-0 lead over Nottingham Forest at the Vitality Stadium.

Bournemouth starting lineup

Petrovic - Jimenez, Milosavljevic, Senesi, Truffert - Adams, Scott, Kluivert - Tavernier, Semenyo, Kroupi

Nottingham Forest starting lineup

Sels - Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams - Luiz, Anderson, Gibbs-White - Ndoye, Hudson-Odoi, Jesus

---

How to watch Bournemouth vs Nottingham Forest live, stream link and start time

Kick off time: 10am ET Sunday
Venue: Vitality Stadium — Boscombe
TV Channel: Peacock
Streaming: Stream live on Peacock

The host Cherries sit four points back of leaders Arsenal heading into the weekend, while Nottingham Forest are two points behind 17th-place Burnley. Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth have lost just once this year and are unbeaten in seven Premier League matches since losing 4-2 at Liverpool in Week 1. They have been a part of three goalfests since September 27 — a 2-2 draw at Leeds, 3-1 win over Fulham, and 3-3 split with Crystal Palace.

Forest have a new boss in Sean Dyche, and the academy graduate oversaw a 2-0 win over Porto in the Europa League on Thursday. He’s tasked with fixing a side whose season is the very opposite of Borunemouth’s, having won on opening day and claimed just two points in the ensuing two months.

Bournemouth team news, focus

OUT: Evanilson (calf) | QUESTIONABLE: David Brooks (unspecified), Enes Unal (knee).

Nottingham Forest team news, focus

OUT: Ola Aina (undisclosed), Dilane Bakwa (undisclosed) | QUESTIONABLE: Oleksandr Zinchenko (groin), Chris Wood (knee)

Bournemouth vs Nottingham Forest prediction

Sean Dyche and the Tricky Trees are a good match given last season’s system, and he’s probably earned a modicum of respect from his boss for winning a game. That’s good, because Bournemouth are scoring goals right now and did not have a midweek match-up with a stories European program like Porto. Bournemouth 2-1 Nottingham Forest.