Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest – Analysis, Prediction, Team News
Saturday 13th May 2023
15:00 GMT
Stamford Bridge
As part of our weekend Premier League predictions, we take a look at Nottingham Forest’s trip to Stamford Bridge. Forest’s away form sees them battling relegation – can they turn it around? Free betting tips and more with our Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest prediction.
Premier League Form:
Chelsea
Bournemouth
3-1 (A)
Arsenal
3-1 (A)
Brentford
2-0 (H)
Brighton
2-1 (H)
Wolves
1-0 (A)
Nottingham Forest
Southampton
4-3 (H)
Brentford
2-1 (A)
Brighton
3-1 (H)
Liverpool
3-2 (A)
Man Utd
2-0 (A)
Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest Preview
In a somewhat absurd turn of events that could not have been predicted at the start of the campaign, Chelsea won their first match in 10 games in all competitions, ending a losing streak of six games under their third manager of the season Frank Lampard. This season has frankly been nothing short of a disaster for The Blues and, taking the last 15 Premier League games in isolation, they sit 16th in the Premier League form table for that period.
To say a 3-1 victory at the Vitality Stadium was a welcome relief would be something of an understatement. Even then, they had to work hard to get it. Bournemouth have been impressive since the World Cup break, particularly at home, and have ensured their survival, so it was to nobody’s surprise that the game was level at 1-1 after 80 minutes. It was a surprise, however, that Chelsea were able to capitalise on a set-piece opportunity to take the lead and add a third through some slick interplay between Raheem Sterling and Joao Felix.
Chelsea are playing for pride right now, and still have a top-half finish to aim for to take the smallest of edges of a hugely disappointing domestic campaign. Following this fixture, they have a tough run of games to close out the season – away to Manchester City, away to Manchester United, and at home to Newcastle United. It doesn’t get much tougher than that in the Premier League, but perhaps their recent victory and (almost) nothing to play for could ease the collective burden the players have been carrying with them all season.
Nottingham Forest, rather predictably, continued their Premier League Jekyll and Hyde act with a thrilling 4-3 home win over Southampton, who in all likelihood will be playing Championship football next season. It feels obvious to state that a game which ended 4-3 was an end-to-end affair but with two teams playing for Premier League survival, it was a classic, though perhaps not an occasion that more defensively-minded coaches would have enjoyed.
Forest have one of the more respectable home records in the division – 27 points from 18 games is not a bad return at all for a club of their stature. It’s their away form which has landed them in relegation trouble. Everybody is acutely aware of the problem, including the Nottingham Forest players and coaching staff. Manager Steve Cooper has spoken on several occasions about the pressing need to rectify their away form – however, they’ve not managed to improve it all season.
Therefore, with the worst away record in the division, Forest still have plenty of work to do to ensure their Premier League survival. It doesn’t help that including this game they have two away fixtures, with a trip to Selhurst Park on the final day of the season. A home match against Arsenal doesn’t help either, though in relegation battles of seasons past we’ve seen clubs achieve improbable results in difficult circumstances. Just this week, Everton destroyed Brighton 5-1 for instance.
Team News
Injuries and Suspensions
Chelsea:
Might Not Play:
Will Not Play: Cooper, Dallas, Adams, Sinisterra
Nottingham Forest:
Might Not Play:
Will Not Play: Krafth, S Longstaff, M Longstaff
Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest Lineups (Predicted)
Chelsea (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga; Hall, Badiashile, Silva, Chalobah; Fernandez, Kante, Gallagher; Sterling, Havertz, Madueke
Nottingham Forest (3-4-2-1): Navas; Niakhate, Felipe, Worrall; Aurier, Lodi, Mangala, Danilo; Gibbs-White, Johnson; Awoniyi
Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest Analysis
Chelsea’s Vulnerability Against High-Tempo Football
This might sound harsh, but it has been a feature of this team under Frank Lampard that they can’t cope defensively with fluid counter-attacking situations or one-touch football in between the lines. It goes some way to explaining why Chelsea have lost so many games recently, and Lampard has attributed this to a lack of confidence throughout the squad.
They don’t look assured in defence – it could be the case that they’re unsuited to playing a back four as they continually select the hugely talented but rather slow Thiago Silva, who at this stage in his career appears to need to be part of a central three. In any case, Bournemouth tore them apart for their equalising goal on the weekend with slick interplay, dragging players out of position and without the necessary cover in defence the goal had a feeling of inevitability about it.
For much of the match, Bournemouth looked like the expensively assembled team, and it was only through a goal via a set piece that Chelsea were galvanised and raised their game for the final 10 minutes or so. It was a reminder of the quality that Chelsea have at their disposal as Sterling and Joao Felix combined effortlessly to extend the lead, and that goal could give them a lot of encouragement as they’ve not scored many lately. Particularly against their opponents here who have been woeful away from the City Ground.
Forest Will Have a Go – But It Won’t Be Good Enough
We’ve seen no evidence from this Forest team that they can sort out their defensive issues away from home. It’s often a function of being outplayed but also their inability to get their counter-attacking game working in other stadiums. It’s frankly bizarre when thought of along those lines. We acknowledge the existence of home advantage and the effect that home support has in football, but the disparity between their home and away performances is truly stark.
You’d think that a team like Forest, who have regularly demonstrated at home just how dangerous they can be in transitions, could adapt that game to away Premier League matches. Teams generally have more possession at home, so you’d think they’d be able to exploit the space that teams leave behind. The problem would appear to be one of confidence and passivity.
Too often, Nottingham Forest have gone away from home with the intention of digging in, making things difficult for their opponents and playing for a point. They’re not taking the necessary risks when in possession to generate quality counter-attacking opportunities and as a result, they’ve repeatedly fallen short. With just three Premier League matches left for them including this one, now they’ll need to be more proactive.
Our Prediction
The 3-1 victory over Bournemouth will certainly have given Chelsea’s beleaguered stars a lift, and we expect them to carry some of that confidence through to this match. Especially given that their opponents are the worst team in the league away from home. Lampard’s men will no doubt be keen to seize the initiative, and although they technically don’t have anything to play for such as European football, we think they’ll be motivated between now and the end of the season to avoid the embarrassment of a bottom half finish.
Forest for their part will probably open up a bit, with points on the board the priority. We think they’ll put in one of their better away performances of the season, as they’ve ‘only’ lost three of their last four away defeats by a single goal. They’ve also scored in four of their last five away games, and this Chelsea side are hardly imperious in defence. We can see a competitive game up until the latter stages where Forest will inevitably tire and Chelsea will capitalise.
Chelsea 3-1 Nottingham Forest
Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest Betting Tip – Chelsea Odds:
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