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Match Day

CHELSEA v Nottingham Forest: Preview

Date: Sunday 6th October 2024

Venue: Stamford Bridge

Kick-off: 14:00 GMT

We followed up our 4-2 against Brighton last weekend with the same scoreline against Gent midweek, albeit with a second string, so scoring doesn’t seem to be the problem it has been for the last few seasons. The tendency to switch off when we’re ahead however, does still need addressing because we wont always have the cushion we’ve had in our last 2 games.

This afternoon’s game sees us back at Stamford Bridge to host Nottingham Forest. They lost 1-0 to our neighbours last time out and sit 10th in the table currently but have 4 wins and a draw from their last 5 away games. They’re a tight side defensively, so I don’t see a cushion happening against them and our own defence will need to be switched on.

Forest beat us 1-0 in this fixture last season and we’ve managed just one win against them in our four meetings since they returned to the Premier League, so there’s a test ahead for our young players this afternoon.

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MANAGER’S VIEWS

Going into today’s game, Enzo Maresca says “I think we are performing very positively, especially in attack, it’s going very well so we are happy. As I said many times already, for sure there are always things we can do better. We can attack better, we can defend much better. But the most important thing we can learn is that we cannot switch off.

I really don’t think we can compete with City or Arsenal. I really don’t think that because we are not ready. The reason is that City has worked with the same manager for nine years and Arsenal five years. If you want to compete for big things you need that time. After Arsenal beat PSG [in the Champions League on Tuesday] they asked Luis Enrique and he said the same thing, that ‘Arsenal have had the same manager for five years and [PSG] a year and a half’. Imagine us, three months … so it’s a huge difference. So I am really convinced we cannot compete with those clubs. The target is to improve and slowly, slowly to get closer to those clubs but at the moment we are not ready for that.”

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo, meanwhile, says “There is a lot of talent in Chelsea’s squad and Chelsea are much more than individual players. They have a very good idea of football and the way they create possession, and then it’s about releasing the space for the talented players. For us, it’s always about the team the spaces and organisation. If we can in some way prevent the good players from putting the balls in the right spaces then we are doing good work.”

SQUAD NEWS

For Chelsea, Reece James (hamstring) remains out as our only absentee.

For Nottingham Forest, Danilo (ankle) and Ibrahim Sangare (thigh) are long-term absentees. Morgan Gibbs-White is back from suspension.

TEAMS

CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson

NOTTINGHAM FOREST (Possible line-up): Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno; Ward-Prowse, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood

LAST SEASON

Chelsea 0-1 Nottingham Forest (2nd September 2023)

CURRENT FORM (PL)

CHELSEA: LWDWWW

NOTTINGHAM FOREST: DWDWDL

OTHER STUFF

  • Chelsea have won just one of the four meetings since Nottingham Forest returned to the Premier League in 2022.
  • Chelsea have won nine of their last 11 Premier League games.
  • Chelsea have 15 goals so far this season (most in the division).
  • Nottingham Forest have taken 13 points from their past five Premier League away games.
  • Forest could remain unbeaten in six top-flight away games for the first time since 1995.

PREDICTION

Sportsmole: Chelsea 2-0 Nottingham Forest

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