Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth played out the first draw of the new Premier League season as they shared the spoils in a 1-1 stalemate at the City Ground this afternoon, although the match was overshadowed by a serious-looking injury to Forest midfielder Danilo.
There are fears that Danilo could be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after his clash with Antoine Semenyo saw him land awkwardly early in the first half.
In fact, the incident was so serious that flags were held up around Danilo in order to give the player privacy while he received treatment for his injury before he was eventually stretchered off.
Ryan Yates replaced the Brazilian 15 minutes into the game, but rather than let the injury affect their performance, Nottingham Forest took the lead in the 23rd minute thanks to a goal from Chris Wood.
Yates was instrumental in the buildup to Wood's goal, as it was his powerful strike from close range that Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto spilled into the path of the Reds' number 11.
Bournemouth's Dango Ouattara thought he had levelled the scoreline in the 32nd minute after his side had pulled off a smart corner routine, but a VAR check showed that Lewis Cook was offside in the buildup to the goal and it was eventually ruled out.
The home side arguably had the better of the first half considering they had 58% possession, and five shots on target in contrast to the Cherries' two.
Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi both went close to doubling the lead, but Nuno Espirito Santo's side were made to rue their missed chances when Semenyo equalised in the dying moments of the game.
In the 86th minute, Semenyo took advantage of Harry Toffolo's poor attempt to clear Ryan Christie's cross, and converted from close range.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST VS. BOURNEMOUTH HIGHLIGHTS
23rd min: Nottingham Forest 1-0 Bournemouth (Chris Wood)
Wood capitalises on Bournemouth's defensive mixup and puts Nottingham Forest ahead after substitute Yates's powerful strike is spilled by Neto in goal!
An awful error from the Bournemouth man!
86th min: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Bournemouth (Antoine Semenyo)
Semenyo draws Bournemouth level with minutes left on the clock! This time it's a defensive error from Tofolo, whose unfortunate clearance in the penalty area lets Semenyo finish from close range!
The visitors rescue a point!
MAN OF THE MATCH - DEAN HUIJSEN
![Dean Huijsen of Bournemouth after the game during the Premier League match Nottingham Forest vs Bournemouth at City Ground, Nottingham, United Kingdom, on August 17, 2024 [on August 18, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/33/dean-huijsen_1.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Dean Huijsen of Bournemouth after the game during the Premier League match Nottingham Forest vs Bournemouth at City Ground, Nottingham, United Kingdom, on August 17, 2024 [on August 18, 2024]")
© Imago
A commanding performance from Bournemouh's newest centre-back sees him earn the man of the match award against Nottingham Forest.
The former Juventus defender was towering in the air, and won nine of his 13 aerial duels in his Premier League debut against imposing opposition figures such as Chris Wood.
Huijsen also attempted 68 passes and had 78 touches, and no other player on the pitch attempted more than 61 passes and had more than 77 touches.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST VS. BOURNEMOUTH MATCH STATS
Possession: Nottingham Forest 53%-47% Bournemouth
Shots: Nottingham Forest 14-13 Bournemouth
Shots on target: Nottingham Forest 8-4 Bournemouth
Corners: Nottingham Forest 2-6 Bournemouth
Fouls: Nottingham Forest 17-8 Bournemouth
WHAT NEXT?
While Nottingham Forest wait for news on the extent of Danilo's injury, boss Nuno will ready his side for their next match in the Premier League against Southampton on Saturday.
However, they will also have to hope that left-back Ola Aina, who went off in the second half with an apparent injury, is fit for their clash against the Saints.
As for Bournemouth, they will play Newcastle United on Sunday, but could be at an advantage considering centre-back Fabian Schar was sent off after a clash of heads with Southampton's Ben Brereton Diaz.
Lewis Nolan
