Aiming to win three competitive matches on the bounce for the first time since March, Chelsea welcome Nottingham Forest to Stamford Bridge for Saturday afternoon’s Premier League battle.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side scraped a 2-1 EFL Cup second-round win over AFC Wimbledon last time out, while the Tricky Trees were eliminated by Burnley at the same stage.
A plethora of changes were inevitable when Chelsea hosted League Two battlers Wimbledon in their EFL Cup opener – entering at the second round due to the absence of European football – but despite the array of young talent on the field, the Blues were stunned by an early James Tilley penalty.
However, Noni Madueke’s own spot kick on the stroke of half time restored parity for Chelsea, who were forced to send on some of the big guns in the second half, but Pochettino’s troops eventually got the job done thanks to an Enzo Fernandez winner.
While Chelsea made hard work of their EFL Cup tie, the manner of their first Premier League win of the season over Luton Town was far more emphatic – once they lit the blue touch paper at least – as Raheem Sterling netted twice and set up Nicolas Jackson during a scintillating individual performance.
A four-point haul from their opening three games as Chelsea lying smack-bang in the middle of the table in 10th place – an all too familiar sight from last season – but by hitting the Hatters for three without reply, the Blues ended a miserable eight-match streak without a home win in the Premier League.
Keeping out Rob Edwards’s side also saw Chelsea record their first Premier League clean sheet since April, while they have navigated each of their last four Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge without suffering defeat, but two Big Six teams have already had to survive scares against their upcoming visitors this term.
After giving Arsenal a good run for their money and leaving it late to see off newly-promoted Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest were in dreamland at the Theatre of Dreams last weekend, storming into a two-goal lead against Manchester United thanks to Taiwo Awoniyi’s finish and Willy Boly’s header.
Steve Cooper’s men became the first team to ever take a 2-0 lead against Man United within the opening four minutes of a Premier League game, but their master plan was soon foiled by the resurgent Red Devils, who drew themselves level through Christian Eriksen and Casemiro before Joe Worrall was sent for an early bath.
The 10 men of Forest did all they could to keep Man United at bay, but after Danilo was penalised for felling Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes completed a sensational Red Devils comeback, before Cooper’s side also succumbed to a late Zeki Amdouni winner in the EFL Cup versus Burnley.
At face value, three defeats from their opening four games of the new season is an unsightly record indeed, but the Tricky Trees – who occupy 14th place in the table – could leave the Emirates and Old Trafford patting themselves on the back.
Forest also held Chelsea to a pair of stalemates in the 2022-23 Premier League season – coming away from Stamford Bridge with a 2-2 draw to their name – but their abysmal road record now reads no wins from their last 12 top-flight games on rival turf, despite scoring in each of their last six such matches.
Pochettino was keen to focus on the positives from his side’s unconvincing EFL Cup win, one of which was having no fresh injury concerns to add to his list of 10 absentees, having played down an apparent problem for Levi Colwill.
All of Romeo Lavia (fitness), Armando Broja (knee), Wesley Fofana (knee), Benoit Badiashile (thigh), Marcus Bettinelli (unspecified), Christopher Nkunku (knee), Carney Chukwuemeka (knee), Reece James (thigh), and Trevoh Chalobah (thigh) will sit this one out, but Mykhaylo Mudryk appears to have recovered from a minor issue.
With several up-and-coming talents failing to grasp their opportunities in midweek, Pochettino will recall the likes of Sterling, Jackson, Fernandez, Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell and Moises Caicedo to the first XI at the weekend, and Cole Palmer’s transfer from Manchester City went through in time for the Englishman to make his debut.
As for Forest, centre-back Worrall will be eligible to return from his one-match suspension this weekend, but it is unclear if he will be ready to play after his uncle – a police Sergeant – tragically lost his life while trying to help a man on railway tracks.
Fellow defender Scott McKenna is nursing a hamstring injury, while Danilo (unspecified), Wayne Hennessey (knee) and Orel Mangala are also taking up beds in the treatment room and Andrey Santos cannot face his parent club, but Felipe is back from a knee problem of his own.
Arsenal loanee Nuno Tavares and ex-Corinthians defender Murillo could also make their debuts for Cooper’s side here – it is unclear whether Nicolas Dominguez was registered in time – while Brennan Johnson is on his way to Tottenham Hotspur, so the door could swing open for Anthony Elanga to start at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Disasi, Colwill, Silva; Gusto, Fernandez, Caicedo, Gallagher, Chilwell; Sterling, Jackson
Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:
Turner; Boly, Niakhate, Felipe; Aurier, Kouyate, Yates, Aina; Gibbs-White, Elanga; Awoniyi
We say: Chelsea 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Forest may not be able to buy a win away from home at the moment, but neither Arsenal nor Man United blew Cooper’s men out of the water, and nor should a new-look Chelsea XI still finding their feet under Pochettino.
However, with several of the Blues’ big-name stars well-rested, the Sterling-inspired hosts can expose their visitors’ frailties on the road once more to make it three wins on the trot, although it may not be too pretty.
