Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea preview, prediction, team news and head-to-head

Nottingham Forest, under new coach Angelos Postecoglou, are yet to record a win. This will put both the manager and the team under pressure when they face the Blues.

Meanwhile, Enzo Maresca’s men will want to capitalize on the recent poor form of their host. Ultimately, we should expect an intense encounter.

In this Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea Preview, both teams will be looking to upset each other to get the most favourable results.

A last-minute strike from Brazilian youngster Estevao ensured Chelsea took the all-important three points home against Liverpool. Prior to this victory, the Blues had been without a win in three straight matches.

Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, had failed to win a single game in their last 5 matches. Their latest defeat was against Newcastle before the international break. However, the Tricky Trees will hope to impress their home fans when they play host to a decent Chelsea side.

While Chelsea are the clear favourites for this fixture, they have managed only three away wins in their last 14 Premier League matches. If Postecoglou can leverage these statistics, he might be able to record his first victory at the City Ground.

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Since their return to the Premier League, Nottingham Forest have yet to unlock the winning formula against Chelsea. The London club has been dominant in their recent meetings, with over 2.5 goals being recorded.

Nottingham Forest has also conceded at least one goal in all five last meetings against Chelsea. The last three meetings between these two clubs include:

• Nottingham Forest 0 – 1 Chelsea played on the 25th of May 2025.

• Chelsea 1 – 1 Nottingham Forest played on the 6th of October 2024.

• Nottingham Forest 2 – 3 Chelsea played on the 11th of May 2024.

The home side will be without Super Eagles star Ola Aina, who picked up an injury about a month ago. On the bright side, both Oleksandr Zinchenko and Douglas Luiz are back from injury and will be available for the match.

Postecoglou will also use three-man defence, which was the same tactics he used against FC Midtjylland in the Europa league match.

On the other hand, Enzo Maresca has a lot to worry about in the injury room. The Chelsea manager will not be on the touchline, following a red card and one-match ban handed to him in the game against Liverpool. 

The visitors will also be without the services of Levi Colwill, Liam Delap, and Mykhaylo Mudryk, who are all currently injured. However, the team will be expecting the return of star player Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez, who picked up a minor injury during the international break.

Nottingham Forest lineup: Sanchez; James, Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella; Lavia, Caicedo; Estevao, Fernandez, Neto; Pedro

Chelsea lineup: Sels; Cunha, Milenkovic, Murillo; Savona, Sangare, Anderson, Williams; Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus

Given Forest’s poor form and Chelsea’s head-to-head record, the visitors are very likely to win this match comfortably. However, we expect Postecoglou’s men to want to prove a point by trying to upset the London team in front of their home fans. 

While going for Chelsea to win is the most suitable option, you can place a safe bet on Livescorebet by staking on the home team to at least score a goal.

Correct Score Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-3 Chelsea

• Chelsea to win

• Over 2.5 goals

• Jaoa Pedro to score