Nottingham Forest were handed a harsh reality check as they fell 2-0 to Bournemouth in Sean Dyche’s Premier League debut as head coach.
Dyche’s reign had begun on a high with a midweek Europa League win over Porto, Forest’s first victory since the opening day of the campaign, but their momentum quickly faded on the south coast, exposing the challenges still ahead for the new boss.
Bournemouth, who have consistently troubled the Reds in recent meetings, came flying out of the blocks in Sunday’s early kickoff. Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels was forced into action within minutes, diving low to keep out Marcus Tavernier’s stinging effort.
The visitors spent much of the first half penned inside their own half, and the pressure eventually told in the 25th minute.
Tavernier’s corner somehow floated over Sels and into the net, though replays showed the corner should never have been awarded, with the ball having last touched Tavernier before going out of play.
Forest also felt their keeper had been fouled in the buildup.
Things went from bad to worse before the break when Junior Kroupi punished sloppy defending, drilling home a crisp shot from distance to make it 2-0.
Dyche reacted with a triple substitution at halftime, but despite enjoying more possession after the restart, Forest lacked creativity in the final third.
Their only real chance came late on when Morgan Gibbs-White’s strike was turned away by Dorde Petrovic, who otherwise had a quiet afternoon between the sticks.
It was a sobering afternoon for Forest, who remain a work in progress under Dyche despite their promising start to life in Europe.
