Sean Dyche’s first Premier League game in charge of Nottingham Forest ended in defeat as Bournemouth moved up to second in the Premier League with a thoroughly deserved victory.
Forest, 2-0 winners over Porto in the Europa League on Thursday, were comfortably second best at Vitality Stadium, but they fell behind in unconventional circumstances when Marcus Tavernier’s corner sailed over goalkeeper Matz Sels and straight into the net.
Forest were aggrieved at the decision to award Bournemouth a corner in the first place, with Tavernier’s cross appearing to hit Neco Williams and rebound off the Bournemouth winger’s foot before looping out of play.
There was little the visitors could do about Bournemouth’s second, though, as Eli Junior Kroupi collected a loose ball before arrowing a low shot into the bottom corner from 30 yards for his fourth goal in three Cherries appearances.
While the second half was less of a mismatch, Bournemouth’s lead rarely looked under threat as the visitors struggled to mount any sort of fightback.
They almost reduced the arrears through Morgan Gibbs-White late in the second half, but goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic produced a fine one-handed save to deny the England international.
The win moves Andoni Iraola’s team four points behind leaders Arsenal, while Forest remain in the relegation zone after suffering their sixth league defeat of the campaign.
