Chelsea will look to build on their win over Bournemouth when they travel to Nottingham Forest for their next Premier League game on Sunday.
Chelsea are currently eighth in the Premier League table, and they will be desperate to close in on the top four with a win over Nottingham Forest. The Blues ended their five-match winless streak in the league with a win over Bournemouth. And they will be hoping to put together a winning run now.
Graham Potter will demand a big performance from his players away to Nottingham Forest. And the Blues cannot afford to take the home side lightly. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest will be desperate to pull off an upset here. They are currently 19th in the league table and will need a bit of luck in order to get out of the bottom three.
Nottingham Forest come into this game on the back of a comprehensive defeat against Manchester United, and they will feel that this is an opportunity for them to bounce back in front of their own fans.
Chelsea have been quite inconsistent this season, and it will be interesting to see if the home side can pull off a morale-boosting result. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Looking towards matchday! 👀 pic.twitter.com/N5KVYtVfYu
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 31, 2022
Team News & Tactics
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest will be without the services of Giulian Biancone, Cheikhou Kouyate, Omar Richards, and Moussa Niakhate due to injuries. Steve Cooper is expected to deploy his side in a 4-3-3 formation, with Dean Henderson returning in goal.
Neco Williams and Harry Toffolo are expected to start as the full-backs. Meanwhile, Joe Worrall will partner Willy Boly at the heart of the Nottingham Forest defense against Chelsea. In the midfield three, Ryan Yates is set to partner Remo Freuler and Lewis O’Brien.
Sam Surridge is expected to lead the line for the hosts, with Emmanuel Dennis and Brennan Johnson deployed as the wingers.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Henderson; Williams, Worral, Boly, Toffolo; Yates, Freuler, O’Brien; Johnson, Surridge, Dennis
Chelsea
Chelsea suffered a major injury blow in their last outing, and Reece James has been ruled out for a month. The likes of Wesley Fofana, N’Golo Kante, Armando Broja, Ben Chilwell and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are set to miss out as well.
Stay strong, Reece. 💙
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 28, 2022
Graham Potter is expected to deploy a 4-3-3 formation as well with Edouard Mendy in goal. Cesar Azpilicueta and Marc Cucurella will start as the full-backs here. Summer signing Kalidou Koulibaly will partner Trevoh Chalobahat the heart of the defense.
In the midfield, Jorginho, who future remains uncertain, is expected to partner Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher. Kai Havertz is set to lead the line for the Blues, with Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the wide areas.
In the absence of Kante and Mateo Kovacic, the likes of Mount and Gallagher will have to work hard defensively as well as add a bit of creative spark to the side.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Mendy; Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Koulibaly, Cucurella; Gallagher, Jorginho, Mount; Sterling, Havertz, Aubameyang
Key Stats
- Chelsea have won their last four matches against Nottingham Forest in all competitions.
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Chelsea have scored at least two goals in their last four matches against Nottingham Forest in all competitions.
- The Blues are looking to win three consecutive league matches against Forest for the first time since August 1966 under Tommy Docherty.
- Graham Potter’s side have lost the last three away games in all competitions.
- Chelsea are unbeaten in their last six away games against newly-promoted clubs.
Player to Watch
Kai Havertz
The 23-year-old German international was outstanding against Bournemouth and he will be hoping to build on that performance here. Havertz has not been able to find the back of the net consistently since joining Chelsea, and he has been criticised for that.
He will be up against the vulnerable Nottingham Forest defense here, and this is a golden opportunity for him to build some confidence by getting on the score sheet. Havertz has scored three goals and picked up an assist in his last two appearances (for club and country), and he is our man to watch out for this weekend.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 1-2 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest are no pushover despite their position in the table and the recent results. They are likely to put up a fight, and Chelsea will have to work hard in order to grind out all three points.
However, the Blues are far superior in terms of quality and they should be able to edge this and pick up all three points in the end. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for Graham Potter and his charges on Sunday.
