AFC Bournemouth will be hoping to break their City Ground duck when they face Championship rivals Nottingham Forest on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
The Cherries have yet to register a victory at the famous venue, drawing four and losing four of their eight visits to the East Midlands, including a 0-0 stalemate last season.
Forest had a challenging pre-season and were forced to cancel their final two friendlies against Aston Villa and Burnley due to Covid-related issues at the club.
And although former Cherries striker Lyle Taylor (pictured below) gave them the lead in their Championship opener at Coventry, the Sky Blues hit back to win 2-1 thanks to late goals from Viktor Gyokeres and Kyle McFadzean.
Joao Carvalho’s first-half double – both goals assisted by new loan signing Philip Zinckernagel from Watford – paved the way for a 2-1 win over Bradford City in the first round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, a team-mate of Arnaut Danjuma at Club Brugge in 2018/19, made his debut for Forest against the Bantams, while they have also signed Arsenal youngster Jordi Osei-Tutu on a season-long loan.
Ahead of the clash, afcb.co.uk caught up with Paul Taylor who covers the fortunes of Forest for The Athletic.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST IN PROFILE
Ground: The City Ground
Nickname: Forest
Founded: 1865
Head coach: Chris Hughton (appointed October 2020)
Club captain: Lewis Grabban
Last season’s finishing position: 17th in Championship
Leading goalscorer 2020/21: Lewis Grabban (six in Championship)
Last game: Nottingham Forest 2-1 Bradford City (Carabao Cup first round)
afcb.co.uk: Give us a summary of the 2-1 defeat at Coventry?
PT: Forest played very well in the first half and took the lead with a well put together goal.
Brennan Johnson was central to it having returned from a loan spell at Lincoln City where he was very good indeed. They looked like they were in control.
In the second half, they began to fade as their legs went. Coventry got stronger and Forest’s attacking impetus got weaker at the same time.
It wasn’t too much of a surprise when they got themselves back into the game late on.
afcb.co.uk: What happened during pre-season to hinder their preparations?
PT: Things were going really well. They played three or four friendlies and were looking pretty decent.
Then, at various points and not all at once, four or five players tested positive for Covid and had to isolate.
This led to their final two friendlies against Aston Villa and Burnley being cancelled which left them a little under-cooked when it came to their fitness levels.
afcb.co.uk: What can you tell us about new loan signing Philip Zinckernagel?
PT: It’s early days but looking at his track record and his performances in the past, he looks like exactly what Forest need.
They struggled to create chances last season and were the second lowest goalscorers in the Championship behind Derby.
He can play anywhere across the front three, either on the right, the left or as a number ten.
In theory, he could provide that little spark that they were missing last season along with the likes of Brennan Johnson who has looked very lively since coming back.
Zinckernagel (pictured below) supplied both assists for the goals against Bradford.
afcb.co.uk: Have there been any key departures?
PT: A lot of players have gone but they have all been Forest’s choice. They haven’t lost anybody who they would be too upset about.
The squad looks very different but that’s their own choice. In answer to the question, no.
afcb.co.uk: Sum up last season for Forest?
PT: They had a bloated and over-stocked squad. Following a difficult start under Sabri Lamouchi, the hangover from the previous season lingered.
They just missed out on the play-offs on the final day of 2019/20 and never quite got over it.
After five or six games, they replaced him with Chris Hughton who inherited a squad which was a lot to handle.
In a short space of time, Forest created a few problems for themselves that took a while for him to solve and the whole season petered out while he tried to get things into some kind of order.
afcb.co.uk: What do you think supporters are hoping for this season?
PT: This will be Forest’s 23rd season outside of the Premier League and expectation is starting to turn into hope.
I think they hope the team will challenge for the top six but, with so many teams still having parachute payments and the climate as it is now, realistically, they would be happy with any kind of push for the play-offs.
I think that would be their hope rather than their expectation. That’s always the aim.
afcb.co.uk: Who is Forest’s one to watch?
PT: Brennan Johnson (pictured above).
He scored 13 goals in 47 games during a loan spell at Lincoln last season and looked very good in League One.
There’s some tiny doubt about whether he can make the step up to the Championship but his first start against Coventry suggested he would.
He was brilliant and Forest will have high hopes for seeing what he can deliver this season.
afcb.co.uk: Are any key players either suspended or injured against the Cherries?
PT: Joe Worrall will be missing due to a calf injury.
He’s their best central defender and probably as much of a leader as club captain Lewis Grabban. They miss him and he’s a real talismanic figure at the back.
afcb.co.uk: What’s your score prediction?
PT: I think Bournemouth are going to be up there this season so I’ll go with a 1-1 draw.
You can follow Paul on Twitter – @nottmtails
Officials: Geoff Eltringham (referee), Robert Hyde (assistant), Lee Venamore (assistant), Robert Whitton (fourth official).
