Chelsea will aim to continue the recent winning run when they take on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday.
The international break is behind us, and the 2025/26 Premier League season resumes this weekend with Gameweek 8. The latest round of fixtures kicks off with Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea at the City Ground, with both teams eager to clinch three points.
Nottingham Forest began the 2025/26 season with a bang, cruising to a 3-1 win over Brentford on the opening weekend. That suggested that their excellent run under Nuno Espirito Santo would continue this term, with the Portuguese tactician bringing the best out of his players. However, the Tricky Trees have managed only one win since then, and Nuno Espirito Santo has lost his job after differences with Evangelos Marinakis and Edu.
Ange Postecoglou has taken over at the City Ground, but the results and performances have been dreadful, with the Australian tactician yet to win a game as the Nottingham Forest manager. That has created widespread speculation surrounding him while linking the Midlands outfit with several managers, including Marco Silva.
Like the hosts, Chelsea began the 2025/26 season in solid form, showing continued progress under Enzo Maresca. However, the Blues were dreadful after the previous international break before recovering form in their two most recent outings. While concerns about their form remain, Maresca’s men have clinched two morale-boosting wins over SL Benfica and Liverpool, with the latest victory taking them to seventh in the Premier League standings.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Chelsea clinch a narrow 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest, with Levi Colwill scoring the match-winning goal. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Nottingham Forest
Ange Postecoglou has no new injury concerns to worry about ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Nottingham Forest manager may be bereft of the services of only one first-team player vs Chelsea on Sunday.
Ola Aina is the only definite absentee due to his hamstring injury. However, Postecoglou has been sweating over the fitness of Oleksandar Zinchenko (groin), Douglas Luiz (hamstring), and Chris Wood (knee). The trio will face late fitness tests to determine their availability.
Matz Sels is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Nottingham Forest lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Chelsea on Saturday. The backline will feature Nicolo Savona, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, and Neco Williams.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Elliot Anderson and Nicolas Dominguez, with Morgan Gibbs-White reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Igor Jesus will lead the line for Nottingham Forest against Chelsea, with Dan Ndoye and former Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Dominguez, Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus
Chelsea
Unlike his counterpart in the Nottingham Forest dugout, Enzo Maresca has new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to the City Ground. The Chelsea manager may be without as many as a dozen first-team players on Saturday.
Levi Colwill (knee), Benoit Badiashile (knock), Dario Essugo (hamstring), Cole Palmer (groin), and Liam Delap (thigh) remain in the treatment room. Additionally, Maresca has been sweating over the fitness of Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Enzo Fernandez, Andrey Santos, and Pedro Neto.
Meanwhile, Mykhailo Mudryk remains unavailable, as he is serving a suspension after failing a doping test several months ago. However, there is some good news, as Trevoh Chalobah is ready to return after being sidelined due to his dismissal against Brighton & Hove Albion a few weeks ago.
Robert Sanchez will retain his spot between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The backline should feature Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, and Marc Cucurella.
As for the midfield unit, Romeo Lavia may pair up with Moises Caicedo in the double pivot if Enzo Fernandez is not ready to start. Facundo Buonanotte will reprise the no. 10 role, with Estevao Willian and Pedro Neto being the two wide attackers (Alejandro Garnacho will start if Neto is not fit enough). Finally, Joao Pedro will spearhead the Chelsea attack against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Lavia, Caicedo; Estevao, Buonanotte, Neto; Pedro
Key Stats
Nottingham Forest have won only one of their last eight Premier League games vs Chelsea (D3 L4), a 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge in September 2023. The Blues have won three of their last four Premier League away games against Nottingham Forest (D1), including their two most recent meetings. They have never before won three successive away league games against the Tricky Trees.
Nottingham Forest have lost four of their last five Premier League games (D1), failing to score in each defeat. The Tricky Trees could fail to score in three consecutive matches in the top flight for the first time since April 1999.
Chelsea have won only three of their last 14 away games in the Premier League (D4 L7). In 2025, just 27 per cent of their points have come on the road (12/45), the lowest ratio of any ever-present side in the top flight.
Nottingham Forest have lost five of their last seven Premier League home games (W1 D1), as many as their previous 22 at the City Ground beforehand (W11 D6). The Tricky Trees could lose three successive home league games for the first time since December 2023 (a run of 4).
No team’s Premier League games this season have seen more goals than Chelsea’s (22 – 13 for, 9 against), with 13 of those coming in their away games (8 for, 5 against); only Burnley’s matches on the road have seen more (17).
Player to Watch
Elliot Anderson
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While Joao Pedro, Estevao Willian, and Callum Hudson-Odoi were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Elliot Anderson as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s Premier League clash between Nottingham Forest and Chelsea at the City Ground.
No player has won possession more times in the Premier League this season than the English international (55). With Nottingham Forest’s defensive struggles showing no signs of slowing down, Anderson must play out of his skin to get valuable points for his team. That may also alert prospective suitors for a move next year, with Chelsea among the clubs keen on signing the 22-year-old midfielder.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 1-3 Chelsea
The pressure is growing on Ange Postecoglou, who remains in search of his first win as the Nottingham Forest manager. However, the Australian tactician has endured a dreadful record in the Premier League against Chelsea.
Postecoglou lost all four Premier League meetings with Chelsea as Tottenham Hotspur manager. The only managers to lose their first five games against the West London club in the competition are Rafael Benítez, Mick McCarthy, Tony Pulis, and Owen Coyle. With the home side struggling to produce competitive performances, Postecoglou will likely join that unenviable club this week.
However, Nottingham Forest will not go down without a fight, and the hosts will take the game to Chelsea. But the away side will have the quality to clinch the valuable three points, with Joao Pedro and Estevao Willian producing the goods in the final third. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Enzo Maresca and his charges.