Frank Lampard will be desperate to see Chelsea clinch back-to-back wins when they welcome Nottingham Forest to Stamford Bridge.
The curtain will soon fall on the 2022/23 Premier League season, with only three rounds of fixtures left. Gameweek 36 will begin with the game between Leeds United and Newcastle United on Saturday. And the action will then continue when Chelsea and Nottingham Forest clash at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea finally clinched the first win in Frank Lampard’s second stint as the head coach. The Blues were dreadful in their first six outings under the Englishman, losing each game. But they finally ended their poor run last weekend by beating Bournemouth 3-1 at the Vitality Stadium. And Lampard will hope to see his team ending in the top half before clearing the way for Mauricio Pochettino.
On the other hand, Nottingham Forest might be turning the corner at the right time. The Tricky Trees looked dead and buried at one point, with Steve Cooper reportedly facing the axe. But two wins in the last three games have helped them climb up to 16th in the standings, beating Southampton 4-3 in the relegation six-pointer on Monday. However, they are not out of the woods yet, with 18th-placed Leicester City only three points behind.
The reverse fixture saw Nottingham Forest come from a goal down to hold Chelsea to a 1-1 draw, with Serge Aurier scoring the equaliser. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Chelsea
Watch Frank Lampard look ahead to #CheNfo! https://t.co/n7hEtq9XPY
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 12, 2023
Frank Lampard has plenty of pressing injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, the Chelsea caretaker manager will be without seven first-team players.
Lampard will deal with a left-back crisis this weekend, with Ben Chilwell unavailable due to a thigh injury. And with Marc Cucurella (hamstring) already on the sidelines, Lampard might have to use Cesar Azpilicueta as a makeshift left-back on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Marcus Bettinelli (knock), Reece James (thigh), Kalidou Koulibaly (hamstring), Mason Mount (pelvis), and Armando Broja (knee) remain on the sidelines. But there is some good news as Wesley Fofana has recovered from a thigh injury to be available to take on Nottingham Forest.
But Fofana might not return to the starting eleven, with Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile likely forming the central defensive partnership again. Meanwhile, Trevoh Chalobah will continue on the right flank, with Kepa Arrizabalaga picking himself between the sticks.
Conor Gallagher set the ball rolling for Chelsea last weekend. But he might drop to the bench on Saturday, with Mateo Kovacic returning. The Croat will join Enzo Fernandez and N’Golo Kante in the middle of the park.
As for the offensive, Lampard will task Noni Madueke to trouble the Nottingham Forest defence with his directness. The young maverick will likely join Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling in the offensive unit on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Kepa; Chalobah, Silva, Badiashile, Azpilicueta; Kante, Fernandez, Kovacic; Madueke, Havertz, Sterling
Nottingham Forest
Like his counterpart in the Chelsea dugout, Steve Cooper also has a plethora of issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge. The Nottingham Forest manager might be without nearly a dozen players on Saturday.
Dean Henderson (thigh), Neco Williams (jaw), Omar Richards (calf), Giulian Biancone (knee), Scott McKenna (shoulder), Chris Wood (hamstring), and Emmanuel Dennis (knock) remain on the sidelines.
In addition, Cooper is sweating over the fitness of Renan Lodi, Serge Aurier, Jack Colback, Jonjo Shelvey, and Gustavo Scarpa. While a few of the players might make the matchday squad, they will unlikely be fit enough to start this weekend.
Straight onto the next one. pic.twitter.com/FjqX8ujN0N
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) May 10, 2023
There is no looking past Keylor between the sticks in Henderson’s absence. And Nottingham Forest will line up in a 4-3-2-1 formation in front of the experienced goalkeeper. Meanwhile, the backline will feature Joe Worrall, Felipe, Moussa Niakhate, and Harry Toffolo. The makeshift backline will aim to remain compact and deny Chelsea any space to exploit.
As for the midfield unit, Danilo has been coming to life in the last few weeks. And the young Brazilian will accompany Orel Mangala and Remo Freuler in the middle of the park. The trio will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park while releasing the ball quickly during transitions.
The presence of the defensive-minded midfield unit means the three attackers will have the freedom to express themselves. And while Taiwo Awoniyi will spearhead the Nottingham Forest attack, Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White will support him while reprising free roles in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-3-2-1): Navas; Worrall, Felipe, Niakhate, Toffolo; Freuler, Mangala, Danilo; Gibbs-White, Johnson; Awoniyi
Key Stats
- Chelsea have won their last six home games against Nottingham Forest, netting at least two goals each time. The last five such meetings have been in cup competitions, with Saturday the Blues’ first home league outing against Forest since September 1998 (2-1). The Tricky Trees have won just one of their most recent 12 meetings with Chelsea in all competitions (D3 L8), a 2-0 home win in January 1997. Their last win at Stamford Bridge was in the Premier League in January 1995.
- Chelsea have lost at home against a promoted side in the last two Premier League seasons, going down 5-2 against West Bromwich Albion in 2020/21 and 4-1 against Brentford last term. They had only lost at home to a promoted club in three of the first 28 campaigns of the competition (1994/95 vs Nottingham Forest, 2000/01 vs Charlton Athletic and 2015/16 vs Bournemouth).
- Chelsea are winless in their last five home league games, losing the last two. They have not had a longer home run without winning in the Premier League since April 1995 (a run of 12), while only in November 1993 have they ever suffered three consecutive defeats at Stamford Bridge in the competition.
- Nottingham Forest have lost their last seven Premier League games away from home. They last endured a longer losing run on their travels in the league from October 1961 to February 1962 (9 in a row).
- Kai Havertz has scored more goals (7), had more shots (65), and created more chances (35) than any Chelsea player in the Premier League this season. He has 19 Premier League goals overall, and a goal in this match would see him become the youngest non-English player to reach 20 goals for the Blues in the competition (23 years, 336 days old) since Eden Hazard in February 2014 (23y 32d).
Player to Watch
Noni Madueke
Very few Chelsea players have shown anything to write home about thus far this season. But Noni Madueke’s performance against Bournemouth last weekend would have filled a few fans with some much-needed confidence ahead of the final rounds of fixtures.
The youngster’s directness adds a layer to Chelsea’s gameplay in the final third. And if he continues in a similar vein, the Blues are in for a treat in the coming half a decade, if not longer. But consistency is crucial, and he needs to perform at a high level in the coming games.
Prediction
Chelsea 2-1 Nottingham Forest
There might not be much to separate the two teams on Saturday. Nottingham Forest will head into the game bursting with confidence after clinching two wins in the last three games. That is one more victory than Chelsea and Frank Lampard have managed in the same timeframe.
But Nottingham Forest’s away record is horrendous, with Steve Cooper’s men struggling to stamp their authority on the road. And while Chelsea’s returns at home are not great, they will have the upper hand. Nonetheless, the two teams should trade blows throughout the evening, with the hosts eking out a 2-1 win.
