Nottingham Forest vs Bournemouth Prediction 24 May 2026
🔊 The hosts, led by Vítor Pereira, have secured their Premier League status and are now looking to bid a fond farewell to their fans with a strong performance. The visitors, under the departing Andoni Iraola, have made history by qualifying for European competition for the first time in the club’s 127-year existence - and they still have a shot at the Champions League. The Cherries are unbeaten in 17 straight matches. This Sunday evening could provide a fitting finale to the fairytale Iraola has crafted on England’s south coast. Such is the intrigue heading into this Matchweek 38 Premier League clash between Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth.
Head-to-Head
📊 The head-to-head stats paint a grim picture for the hosts: Bournemouth are unbeaten against Nottingham Forest in their last 11 meetings across all competitions. Earlier this season, these sides clashed at the Vitality Stadium, where the Cherries cruised to a 2-0 victory, scoring both goals before halftime.
H2H Stats Matches and Previous Teams Results
Nottingham Forest Team Overview
The “Tricky Trees” wrap up their campaign in 16th place, with a chance to climb one spot higher, though the overall significance is minimal. The primary objective has been accomplished-next season’s Championship will go on without them. Back in February, such a confident escape from relegation seemed highly unlikely. But following the appointment of Vítor Pereira, the squad found renewed belief, embarking on an eight-match unbeaten run in the Premier League.
That positive streak, however, came to an end in the previous round. Nottingham fell 3-2 to Manchester United in a thrilling shootout-showing plenty of character but also exposing vulnerabilities at the back. United racked up 29 shots, pushing their xG to a staggering 4.01. Forest allowed six clear-cut chances and were fortunate not to lose by a wider margin.
Match Results: Nottingham Forest
Bournemouth Team Overview
The Cherries head into the final matchday riding an extraordinary wave of form. Unbeaten in 17 Premier League fixtures-a club record and one of the longest streaks in league history-Andoni Iraola’s side have already secured at least a place in the Europa League. Under certain scenarios, they could even book a spot in the Champions League if Aston Villa finish below Liverpool following the Europa League final.
Last time out, Bournemouth battled to a 1-1 draw against Manchester City in Iraola’s farewell home match. The Cherries delivered a superb performance and effectively ended the title race, earning hero status among Arsenal supporters. Eli Junior Kroupi, who netted the decisive goal, became the most prolific teenager in a Premier League debut season, surpassing the records set by Robbie Fowler and Robbie Keane. Bournemouth have found the net in each of their last seven matches, with Kroupi leading the way as the club’s top scorer on 13 goals.
Match Results: Bournemouth
Latest news
Nottingham Forest
🚫 Defenders Murillo, Willy Boly, and Nicolo Savona, along with forward Callum Hudson-Odoi, remain sidelined with long-term injuries.
❓ Dan Ndoye and Ola Aina are both doubtful for this fixture; they've recently returned to training and could feature if passed fit.
Bournemouth
❌ Alex Jimenez and Ryan Christie are definitely ruled out. Jimenez is serving a club-imposed suspension, while Christie misses out through a red card ban.
❔ Julio Soler remains a doubt, having not featured since January.
🟨 Yellow Card Prediction
Craig Pawson has rightfully earned his reputation as the Premier League’s most lenient referee. This season, he has shown 54 yellow cards in 20 matches, averaging just 2.7 per game. The Englishman has only handed out two red cards and consistently opts for a restrained approach to discipline. With nothing left at stake for the hosts, we don’t expect them to play overly aggressive football. Bournemouth, on the other hand, pick up an average of 2.44 bookings per away match and are under pressure to earn points-so they’re likely to find themselves in the referee’s notebook. Bournemouth over 1.5 yellow cards at odds of 1.73* is a logical call.
⚽ Goals Prediction
The hosts’ lack of tournament motivation sets the stage for a free-flowing, open game. That’s exactly what Forest have been offering lately, and Bournemouth themselves recently went on a run of five consecutive high-scoring matches. In the last round, they even had chances to net twice against City. Bookmakers aren’t expecting a cagey affair here-and we’re in agreement. With that in mind, over 2.5 total goals at 1.64* looks like a well-founded prediction.
🚩 Corners Prediction
Under Iraola, Bournemouth have made excellent use of the flanks to create chances-in October’s reverse fixture, they won six corners compared to Forest’s four. Nottingham Forest average six corners per home match, while the Cherries earn 5.28 per away game. It’s no surprise that in six of the last seven Premier League head-to-heads between these sides, the over 9.5 corners line has been covered. That’s a strong trend, with solid odds of 1.57*!
*Odds are approximate and may vary across different bookmakers.
Editors’ Prediction
The City Ground bids farewell to the Premier League until next season, while Bournemouth prepare to say goodbye to the Iraola era. This double dose of emotion should make for a lively yet cautious encounter. Forest have looked vulnerable at the back, but their home support and a run of seven consecutive matches with goals scored suggest they won’t go quietly here. The Cherries are likely to extend their impressive unbeaten streak, although a letdown is possible after their energy-sapping clash with City. With that in mind, we’ll cautiously back the visitors to edge it 2-1 and recommend a bet on both teams to score (yes). That market has paid out in each of the last four head-to-heads between these sides at the City Ground.
Betting Tips: Nottingham Forest - Bournemouth
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Comparison of Teams Stats
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