Nottingham Forest’s trip to the Vitality Stadium was supposed to be a celebration of two sides who are rocking apple cart and disrupting the Premier League’s elite. Instead, it turned into a mauling, as Bournemouth decimated Nuno Espírito Santo’s team 5-0 to hand the Tricky Trees their first loss since the beginning of December.
The Cherries went ahead just before the 10-minute mark, as the in-from Justin Kluivert picked up the ball on the halfway line; the Forest players sat off the Dutchman and allowed him to continue advancing unchallenged before he eventually fired off a shot from 25 yards out into the bottom left corner.
Kluivert turned provider for Bournemouth’s second, dinking a delightful box into the box for Dango Ouattara, who rose high into the air and delivered a looping header which landed in the bottom corner; five minutes later, Ouattara had his second as he crashed into the box and evaded challenges from both Murillo and Nikola Milenković before prodding home.
The life was swiftly fading from both the Forest fans and players, and their misery was compounded when a long-range effort from Marcus Tavernier was parried by Matz Sels and landed at the feet of an unmarked Ouattara, who duly finished to complete his first Premier League hat trick.
Andoni Iraola’s side completed the rout when Forest defenders once again sat off Bournemouth and allowed Antoine Semenyo too much time and freedom. The Ghana international finished coolly.
A thump back down to earth for Nottingham Forest, but what did we learn from it?
Forest’s centre backs struggle
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Murillo and Nikola Milenković have been one of the best centre-back partnerships in the Premier League this season. The two have been vital in Forest’s meteoric rise up the table, and what the Tricky Trees I have done up to now would not have been possible without them.
But today, the usually rock-solid paring were woeful, miles off their typical standard.
Bournemouth’s second goal saw Ouattara outjump Murillo with shocking ease; then, five minutes later, the centre backs were collectively embarrassed as Ouattara danced between them and scored his second.
The cherry on top of the disaster cake was Bournemouth’s fourth, as both of the defenders showed zero awareness of their surroundings, and Ouattara was left unmarked following a parried shot.
The hope would be that this catastrophic performance from the two was an absolute anomaly and not a glimpse into the future. Given their performances prior to this game, you would presume it would be the former, and they will be back on track soon. However, their performance today was beyond poor, and that should be recognised.
Callum Hudson-Odoi was a huge miss
A key component of Forest’s season has been their ability to kill their opponents on the counter, and former Chelsea man Callum Hudson-Odoi has been integral in that, often leading the charge.
But in last weekend’s 3-2 victory over Southampton, the 24-year-old picked up a groin injury that ruled him out of the trip to the south coast, and Forest missed him terribly.
It resulted in Nuno’s men looking toothless going forward and void of creativity and genuine pace. It limited the Tricky Trees to speculative efforts, with them having seven shots from outside the box when typically they like to drive into the box and get shots away from close range.
As of now, it is unknown whether the England international will be available for the game against Brighton.
“He was not available for today. We still have to assess for the next one,” Nuno said when speaking to the media after his side’s 5-0 drumming.
If the game against Bournemouth is any indication, Forest desperately needs Hudson-Odoi back and soon.
This was a one-off, wasn’t it?
Nottingham Forest have, without a doubt, been the story in the Premier League this season. Tipped for relegation before the season started, they have upset the odds and are making a genuine push for Champions League football.
They have looked rejuvenated and have resembled the legends of old, and that has been incredible to watch unfold throughout the campaign.
But you cannot ignore this performance, as it was not just subpar; it was one of the worst displays by Forest since they returned to the Premier League over two years ago.
So the question has to be asked: Was this an absolute abnormality, or is it indicative of a team that is running out of steam?
Forest fans will be hoping for the former, and that is likely the case, but it makes the visit of Brighton all the more interesting next weekend, as that will tell us how much this dismantling has had an effect on the team and whether it can really derail their season.
Chris Wood conundrum
The beauty of Chris Wood is that he impacts a game while having limited touches of the ball, and that has been a huge part of Forest’s accomplishments this season.
But this game at the Vitality Stadium showed that, in a game where Forest are struggling and having difficulty getting on the ball, Chris Wood’s presence does not add to the team but rather subtracts from it.
Wood had 24 touches of the ball, and that simply is not enough for a team that are under the cosh, struggling and desperately need something from their forward, this is perhaps something that Nuno should have realised early in the second period.
The Portuguese should have seen the tide was turning, and Bournemouth were starting to grab the game back the scruff of its neck and attempted to get a bit more energy on the pitch in the form of Taiwo Awoniyi.
This is not to say Awoniyi is a better player than Wood, but rather that he was more suited to the challenge facing Forest and could have provided so much-needed urgency in the final third.
Wood is a massive part of this team, and that won’t change, but it is vital Nuno understands there are periods in games where he needs to change things in the up front, and today was one of those instances.
