Chelsea will aim to continue the recent winning run when they welcome Nottingham Forest to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The dreaded international break is nearly here, and it begins after Gameweek 7 of the 2024/25 Premier League season and matchdays in other leagues end on Sunday. The action on the day in the English top flight will kick off with two simultaneous fixtures: Aston Villa vs Manchester United at Villa Park and Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea began the 2024/25 season with a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City, and the knives were nearly out for Enzo Maresca, especially after he banished a few high-profile players from the first-team squad. However, the Italian tactician has spectacularly turned things around, with the Blues winning nearly every match since Gameweek 1, including their five most recent outings. The run has pulled the West London outfit into the top four.
As for Nottingham Forest, they were one of the surprise packages of the first months of the 2024/25 season. The Tricky Trees did not lose in the Premier League until Gameweek 6 while earning a shock 1-0 win over Liverpool. However, last weekend’s defeat to Fulham and other results in the latest round of fixtures has dropped Nuno Espirito Santo’s charges out of the top half of the table.
The corresponding fixture last season ended in a 1-0 win for Nottingham Forest, with an error by Moises Caicedo allowing Anthony Elanga 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
Chelsea
Enzo Maresca does not have any new roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Chelsea manager will be bereft of the services of two first-team players vs Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Reece James and Omari Kellyman remain on the sidelines due to their hamstring injuries, with the former no closer to returning to action. However, Carney Chukwuemeka should be available after missing the midweek UEFA Europa League clash against KAA Gent due to illness.
Robert Sanchez will take his usual spot between the sticks vs Nottingham Forest despite his howlers last week, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him on Sunday. The backline should feature Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, and Marc Cucurella.
As for the midfield unit, Enzo Fernandez should pair up with Moises Caicedo in the middle of the park. Cole Palmer will reprise the no. 10 role, with Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho being the two wide attackers. Finally, Nicolas Jackson is the automatic pick as the central striker for Chelsea against Nottingham Forest.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Enzo Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson
Nottingham Forest
Like his counterpart in the Chelsea dugout, Nuno Espirito Santo has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge. The Nottingham Forest manager will be without two first-team players on Sunday.
Morgan Gibbs-White is back after serving a suspension last weekend against Fulham. So, Danilo (ankle) and Ibrahim Sangare (thigh) remain on the sidelines, with the two first-choice midfielders recovering from their long-term injuries.
Nottingham Forest will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Chelsea on Sunday, with Matz Sels taking his usual spot between the sticks. The backline should feature Ola Aina, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, and Alex Moreno.
As for the midfield unit, James Ward-Prowse and Elliot Anderson should pair up in the double pivot, with the former posing a significant threat with his set pieces. The returning Gibbs-White will reprise his usual no. 10 role, with Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi being the two wide attackers. Finally, there is no looking past Mark Wood as the central striker for the away side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno; Ward-Prowse, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Key Stats
- Chelsea have won just one of the four meetings since Nottingham Forest returned to the Premier League in 2022 (D2 L1). Nottingham Forest can win consecutive away league games vs Chelsea for the first time since their first two visits to Stamford Bridge in 1907 and 1908.
- Chelsea have won nine of their last 11 Premier League games (D1 L1). The Blues’ 15 goals thus far this season is the most of any team in the division ahead of Gameweek 7.
- Chelsea’s six Premier League matches this season have witnessed 22 goals, the most of any top-flight team. On the other hand, Nottingham Forest’s fixtures have seen the fewest (11).
- Nottingham Forest’s tally of 13 points from their last five Premier League away matches is as many as they had managed in their previous 27 combined. Avoiding a loss on Sunday will mean the Tricky Trees will have remained unbeaten in six top-flight games on the road for the first time since 1995.
- Since the start of last season, Cole Palmer has been directly involved in a league-high 43 Premier League goals, scoring 28 and assisting 15. Palmer has averaged either a goal or an assist every 73 minutes in the Premier League for Chelsea – the best rate of any player in the club’s history.
Player to Watch
Nicolas Jackson
The rumours continue to fill the space, with Chelsea still in the market for a striker. So, Nicolas Jackson cannot afford a misstep, and he will be eager to continue his solid start to the 2024/25 season.
While the Senegalese international has not scored goals for fun, he remains heavily involved in Chelsea’s build-up play and set up a strike as Cole Palmer ran riot against Brighton & Hove Albion. Expect another energetic performance by Jackson, who will run throughout the game and hope to add to his tally.
Prediction
Chelsea 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Chelsea might be flying high after barely dropping points this season, but they cannot take Nottingham Forest lightly. The Tricky Trees have already shown with a shock win over Liverpool at Anfield that they can spring a surprise on their travels. In addition, they have a solid record on the road in the last few months.
Nuno Espirito Santo will instruct his players to put pressure on Robert Sanchez and force a mistake out of the Spaniard. While the away side should take the game to Chelsea, the Blues have enough quality to eke out a narrow win this weekend. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 victory for Enzo Maresca and his charges, with Cole Palmer continuing his exceptional run.