Ahead of Chelsea’s trip to Nottingham Forest this weekend, Paul Merson has previewed the fixture and made his score prediction.
It has felt like another long international break for supporters. However, Chelsea are back in Saturday’s early kick-off when they play away at Forest in the Premier League.
The Blues pipped their upcoming opponents to a Champions League spot on the final day of last season, so the travelling fans will have fond memories of their last trip to Nottingham. On paper, it could be quite a fiery encounter between the two teams.
Chelsea’s predicted line-up against Forest looks extremely strong, even though talisman Cole Palmer is still absent through injury.
Chelsea's Reece James heads the ball away from Nottingham Forest's Murillo in the Premier League match.
Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images
Paul Merson predicts Chelsea’s trip to Nottingham Forest
According to Paul Merson, Chelsea could drop points on the weekend’s trip to the City Ground.
His message to Maresca’s side is that they are crying out for more consistency this campaign, but he’s tipping them to slip up against Forest.
Merson told Sportskeeda: “Chelsea had a great result against Liverpool and I must admit, I didn’t see that coming. This is a difficult game though. I know it sounds crazy when I say this after just seven games, but it could be last chance saloon for Ange Postecoglou at Nottingham Forest. If he loses this game, I don’t think he will make it to next week…
“Chelsea are crying out for consistency. It was a great win over Liverpool but they must back it up with another three points in this game. There’s no point in beating the reigning champions and then failing to win against a struggling Forest. It has been a bit of a stop-start season for Chelsea and they must now put together a run of good wins to take charge in the race for a top four finish.
“The early kick-off after an international break sometimes works as a leveller for the underdogs. And this is a cup final for Postecoglou and his team. So I have a feeling that it could be an advantage for them. Looking at the table, Forest are 17th and it’d be a massive shock if Chelsea cannot beat them on Saturday. But Forest are a decent team on paper, and they have to turn the tide sooner rather than later. So I’m backing them to get a point.
“Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Chelsea.”
Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson competes with Chelsea's Moises Caicedo for possession in the Premier League match.
Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images
In fairness, Chelsea’s results across the board so far this season have been a mixed bag. If they really want to kick on to the next level as a talented young squad, the consistency is going to be pivotal.
Chelsea’s 2-1 win against Liverpool before the pause for international football is proof of what they can do, but that has to be the standard they reach on a weekly basis.
Of course, Forest manager Ange Postecoglou is a huge subplot to Saturday’s showdown because he’s winless in his opening seven games across all competitions. There is already plenty of speculation in the media regarding his future, so the Chelsea fanbase will find it bittersweet if they can get one over on the former Tottenham boss.
Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest head-to-head
We’ve taken a look at the most recent six results between the clubs across the previous three seasons.
Competition Date Result
Premier League 25 May 2025 Nottingham Forest 0-1 Chelsea
Premier League 6 October 2024 Chelsea 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Premier League 11 May 2024 Nottingham Forest 2-3 Chelsea
Premier League 2 September 2023 Chelsea 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Premier League 13 May 2023 Chelsea 2-2 Nottingham Forest
Premier League 1 January 2023 Nottingham Forest 1-1 Chelsea
Chelsea & Nottingham Forest head-to-head
As you can see above, there’s not usually too much to split the sides. From Chelsea’s perspective, it feels vital that they follow up beating Liverpool with another three points.