Premier League football returns this Saturday lunchtime at the City Ground as Nottingham Forest hosts Chelsea. The Tricky Trees are still waiting for their first win under Ange Postecoglou, while the Blues aim to make it four wins in five across all competitions.
Chelsea head into this one full of confidence after a hard-fought 2–1 win over Liverpool before the international break. A Moisés Caicedo rocket and a late strike from Estevao, now the youngest Brazilian to score a Premier League winner, sealed the points at Stamford Bridge.
That victory lifted Enzo Maresca’s side to seventh, just three points off the Champions League places. They’ve now won three of their last four in all competitions, though their away form still needs work. The Blues have managed only three wins from their last 14 league trips, something they’ll look to fix on Saturday.
Forest, meanwhile, are struggling for momentum. Postecoglou’s men have lost three straight games in all competitions and sit 17th, just a point above the relegation zone. They were beaten 2–0 by Newcastle in their last outing, with Bruno Guimarães and Nick Woltemade on target for the Magpies.Pressure is mounting on Postecoglou, who has yet to taste victory since taking charge. Forest haven’t won a Premier League match since the opening weekend, and fans are already questioning how long he’ll last. Reports even suggest Sean Dyche could be lined up as a potential replacement.
Chelsea will have to cope without Maresca on the touchline after his red card celebration against Liverpool. Injuries are still an issue: Levi Colwill and Liam Delap are out, while Enzo Fernández, Cole Palmer, Reece James, and Tosin Adarabioyo face late fitness tests. Trevoh Chalobah returns from suspension to offer some stability at the back.
For Forest, Ola Aina is ruled out, but Murillo is expected to return. Callum Hudson-Odoi, facing his former club, should also start.
Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea: Key Stats
📊 Head-to-head: Forest 27 wins, Chelsea 42 wins, 31 draws
📊 Forest: 0 wins in last 6 matches (2 draws, 4 losses)
📊 Forest: Lost 3 straight at home, scoring just 0.67 goals per game
📊 Forest: Winless in 8 of last 10 home matches
📊 Chelsea: Won 3 of last 4 in all competitions
📊 Chelsea: 7 clean sheets in last 15 away league matches
Predicted Lineups
Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1)🔴 Sels; Savona, Milenković, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Domínguez; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus
Chelsea (4-2-3-1)🔵 Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Lavia, Caicedo; Estevao, Buonanotte, Neto; Pedro
Players and Matchups to Watch
🔹 Moisés Caicedo – Dictating midfield and scoring goals from range
🔹 Estevao – The young Brazilian lighting up Chelsea’s attack
🔹 Morgan Gibbs-White – Forest’s key creator in a struggling side
Odds Market on MSport
💵 Draw: 3.95
💵 Chelsea to win: 2.01
💵 Over 2.5 Goals: 1.85
💵 Estevao Anytime Goalscorer: 3.50
