Chelsea welcome relegation battling Nottingham Forest to Stamford Bridge in a bottom-half Premier League clash.
Victory would see Chelsea stay 11th in the table, whilst Forest can stay 16th with a win and potentially move six points clear of relegation with two games left of this season.
Team News
Wesley Fofana is a doubt for Chelsea after a hamstring injury forced him to sit out their win at Bournemouth last weekend.
Marcus Bettinelli (unspecified), Ben Chilwell, Kalidou Koulibaly, Reece James (all hamstring), Marc Cucurella (quad), Mason Mount (groin) and Armando Broja (knee) remain absent.
Forest could be without Serge Aurier and Renan Lodi after the pair picked up knocks in their dramatic victory against Southampton on Monday evening.
Jack Colback (concussion) and Jonjo Shelvey (knock) are again doubtful for selection and could face fitness tests.
Dean Henderson (muscle), Neco Williams (jaw), Scott McKenna (collarbone), Omar Richards (leg), Gustavo Scarpa, Giulian Biancone (both knee) and Chris Wood (thigh) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off
Chelsea host Forest in a 3pm BST kick-off at Stamford Bridge on Saturday 13 May, untelevised in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Chelsea are unbeaten in four of their last five league meetings against Forest (W2, D2, L1).
- Forest have won just one of their last five league visits to Chelsea (W1, D2, L2).
- In 11 previous Premier League meetings between Chelsea and Forest, neither team have won a penalty kick.
- No non-English player has been caught offside on more occasions this season than Chelsea’s Kai Havertz (27).
- Morgan Gibbs-White is the only Forest player to have made triple-digit number of crosses this season, having produced 152 crosses in 32 league appearances.
Prediction
Having ended their six-match losing streak with a clinically polished energetic pressing win at Bournemouth, Chelsea now have to ensure that performance wasn’t a blip by continuing to show more confidence in their overall play here if want to definitely move out of their rut.
Frank Lampard’s Blues though have Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle United in their three tough closing games of the season, so it is imperative that they get a result here to take momentum into that trio of fixtures where they will be underdogs with not much chance of victory.
Forest meanwhile overcame Southampton in a dramatic seven-goal thriller to put their fate in their own hands, yet they have Arsenal at home then Crystal Palace to come with just a three-point buffer to the drop and a bad goal difference which could prove their own downfall come season’s end.
Steve Cooper’s Forest though aren’t short on goals with just two blanks in their last 11 matches but their defence is their Achilles heel at present, which is a worry coming into this type of fixture – when they’ve only claimed four points on their league travels.
Either way, a goalless draw seems an unlikely bet but if Forest can score first and press on whilst weathering Chelsea’s dangerous if wasteful attack, they might just get something otherwise Chelsea should routinely wrap this game up.
Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Result: Chelsea 2-2 Nottingham Forest
Leave a Reply