Nottingham Forest will aim to get closer to staving off relegation, while Chelsea will look to continue the upturn in form when the two sides clash at City Ground on Saturday.
The games are coming thick and fast across Europe, with the 2023/24 Premier League season resuming with Gameweek 37. The latest round of fixtures will kick off with the game between Fulham and Manchester City at Craven Cottage and end at City Ground, where Nottingham Forest will host Chelsea.
Nottingham Forest came into the 2023/24 season after narrowly avoiding relegation with a late unbeaten run last term. However, they have struggled to match the exploits from 2022/23, although parting ways with Steve Cooper might not have been a sensible decision.
While there have been some positive signs under Nuno Espirito Santo, the Portuguese tactician has won only 25 per cent of his games. However, a four-point deduction has also left the Tricky Trees in a spot of bother in recent weeks.
As for Chelsea, they have gradually adopted to Mauricio Pochettino’s ways, although they spent most of the 2023/24 season mired in mediocrity. However, the recent run of only one defeat in 12 Premier League games has taken them from 11th to seventh in the Premier League standings, with a sixth-placed finish on the cards if Newcastle United drop points.
The reverse fixture ended in a 1-0 win for Nottingham Forest, with Anthony Elanga scoring the game’s only goal to condemn Chelsea to a narrow defeat. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Nottingham Forest
Nuno Espirito Santo does not have any new issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Chelsea on Saturday, the Nottingham Forest manager will be bereft of the services of only one first-team player.
Neco Williams is the only absentee for Nottingham Forest, with the Welsh international defender recovering from a hamstring injury. He should return to the fold before the 2023/24 campaign ends for the Tricky Trees.
Matz Sels is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Nottingham Forest lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Chelsea. The backline should feature Gonzalo Montiel, Willy Boly, Murillo, and Ola Aina.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Ryan Yates and Danilo in the double pivot, with the duo looking to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Finally, a dynamic offensive quartet should feature Taiwo Awoniyi, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Anthony Elanga.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Montiel, Boly, Murillo, Aina; Yates, Danilo; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Awoniyi
Chelsea
Unlike his counterpart in the Nottingham Forest dugout, Mauricio Pochettino has many concerns to deal with ahead of the trip to City Ground. The Chelsea manager will be without eight first-team players.
Robert Sanchez (match fitness), Reece James (thigh), Ben Chilwell (knee), Wesley Fofana (knee), Lesley Ugochukwu (hamstring), Carney Chukwuemeka (knee), Romeo Lavia (thigh), and Enzo Fernandez (hernia) remain on the sidelines. However, James is closing in on his return and should feature once before the campaign ends.
There is no looking past Djordje Petrovic between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Nottingham Forest. The backline should feature Malo Gusto, Trevoh Chalobah, Thiago Silva, and Marc Cucurella.
As for the midfield unit, Fernandez’s absence means Conor Gallagher and Moises Caicedo pick themselves in the double pivot. The latter will be eager to exorcise his demons from the reverse fixture after making the error that led to Anthony Elanga’s match-winner.
Nicolas Jackson will spearhead the Chelsea attack against Nottingham Forest, with Cole Palmer playing behind him. Finally, Noni Madueke and Mykhailo Mudryk should be the two wide attackers, leaving Raheem Sterling as an option on the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Gusto, Chalobah, Silva, Cucurella; Gallagher, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Mudryk; Jackson
Key Stats
- Following the 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge in September – Nottingham Forest can complete a first league double over Chelsea for the first time since 1978/79 when they were reigning top-flight champions under Brian Clough.
- Chelsea have won just two of their last ten away league games against Nottingham Forest, in November 1994 and February 1999.
- Following the 3-1 win at Sheffield United last weekend, Nottingham Forest will aim to win consecutive Premier League games for only the third time since returning to the top flight in 2022 (previously January 2023 vs Southampton and Leicester City and December 2023 vs Newcastle United and Manchester United).
- While they have lost just one of their last 12 Premier League games, Chelsea are without a win in their five most recent clashes away from home. The Blues have failed to keep a clean sheet in 14 Premier League matches on the road since a 2-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage in October.
- Cole Palmer has been involved in 30 Premier League goals this season – scoring 21 and assisting nine. The most recent Chelsea player to be involved in more was Eden Hazard in 2018/19 (31 – 16 goals and 15 assists). Not since 2009/10 has a Chelsea player scored more in a league campaign (Didier Drogba 29, Frank Lampard 22).
Player to Watch
Nicolas Jackson
While Cole Palmer has been the flavour of the month for a long time at Chelsea, Nicolas Jackson has salvaged some pride in recent outings. He was on fire as Chelsea cruised to a 5-0 win over West Ham United last weekend, scoring a brace and providing an assist.
The 22-year-old has four goals and two assists in his last five Premier League outings, making him one of the most in-form players for Chelsea. With the West London club scouring the market for a striker amid the links with Victor Osimhen, Jackson is leaving no stone unturned to make his mark and remain in the scheme of things when the 2024/25 season begins. That run must continue this weekend.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 2-3 Chelsea
While Nottingham Forest produced an impressive performance to beat Sheffield United last weekend, they have not won successive Premier League games since December. On the other hand, Chelsea’s recent away form has been sub-par, as we iterated earlier.
However, apart from the 5-0 defeat to Arsenal, the Blues have not been dreadful on their travels. In addition, with Nottingham Forest having a poor defence, Chelsea should capitalise and find a way past Matz Sels multiple times.
But the hosts will not go down without a fight and stretch the match until the full-time whistle. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-2 win for Mauricio Pochettino and his charges, leaving Nottingham Forest in a spot of bother if Luton Town can beat West Ham United earlier in the day.