Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea: Preview, Prediction & Betting Picks

Big Match in the Race to Avoid Relegation and Secure European Spots

Nottingham Forest welcomes Chelsea to the City Ground in a crucial Premier League clash. Both teams are fighting for their respective goals at the end of the season.

Date: May 11th, 2024

Kick-off: 10:30 AM EST

Venue: City Ground

Chelsea on the Rise

Chelsea has shown signs of improvement lately, grabbing three wins and a draw in their last five games. This surge has pushed them to seventh in the standings, just ahead of Manchester United on goal difference. While United has a game in hand, Chelsea is in a good position to qualify for the Europa Conference League at least. They're also within reach of Newcastle for the sixth spot, which brings Europa League qualification. A win here would solidify their chances, while dropped points would be a major setback.

Forest Battling for Survival

The home team is in a relegation scrap, but a big 3-1 victory over Sheffield United last weekend has given them some breathing room. They're still in 17th place but hold a three-point advantage over 18th-place Luton with two matches remaining. Any points this weekend would put them on the cusp of safety heading into the final day. On the other hand, a loss would make things very tense for Forest.

Goals Galore Expected

This match promises to be an exciting one with goals on both ends. Chelsea's recent attacking form is undeniable, but their defense has been shaky. Forest has also struggled defensively, conceding in their last eleven games. Cole Palmer, with his impressive 21 goals this season, will be the main threat for Chelsea. Nicolas Jackson has also had a solid debut campaign with 13 goals. Forest will rely on Chris Wood, their leading scorer with 12 goals, and the in-form Callum Hudson-Odoi, who scored twice last weekend.

Recent History Favors Forest

Since Forest's promotion in 2022, these two sides have met three times in the Premier League, surprisingly with Chelsea failing to win a single game. There have been two draws and a Forest victory. Prior to this, Chelsea dominated the matchup, winning seven straight encounters in all competitions, although those wins came way back in 1998. The reverse fixture this season ended 1-0 in favor of Forest thanks to Anthony Elanga's goal early in the second half.

Nottingham Forest Team News

Neco Williams is the only injury concern for Nottingham Forest.

Chelsea Team News

Chelsea have a number of injuries, including Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez who are ruled out for the season. Reece James and Lesley Ugochukwu could make their long-awaited returns this weekend after Christopher Nkunku and Levi Colwill provided a boost by making the bench last week.

Nottingham Forest Form Guide

Forest has had a mixed bag in their last five games, going 1 win, 1 draw, and 3 losses. They got a much-needed win in their most recent match, beating already-relegated Sheffield United 3-1. The Blades took an early lead from a penalty, but Forest fought back with goals from Callum Hudson-Odoi (twice) and Ryan Yates.

This win was a positive response to two straight losses against Manchester City and Everton. They lost 2-0 to City at home despite creating some good chances, with Chris Wood missing a few key opportunities. City secured the win with goals from Josko Gvardiol and Erling Haaland. The Toffees also beat Forest 2-0, with goals from Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil.

Before that, Forest drew 2-2 at home against Wolverhampton. They had more shots on goal, but Wolves controlled possession more. Matheus Cunha put Wolves ahead, but Morgan Gibbs-White equalized for Forest just before halftime. Their first game in this five-game stretch was a 3-1 loss at Tottenham. Wood scored for Forest to cancel out an own goal, but Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro secured the win for Spurs in the second half.

Chelsea Form Guide

Chelsea's form has been up and down recently, with 2 wins, 2 losses, and a draw in their last five games. However, they seem to be finding their rhythm again with two wins in a row. Their most recent victory was a convincing 5-0 thrashing of West Ham. Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, Noni Madueke, and Nicolas Jackson (with two goals) all got on the scoresheet for the Blues.

This win came after a 2-0 victory over arch-rivals Tottenham at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea dominated the game and took the lead through a Trevoh Chalobah header. Nicolas Jackson doubled their lead in the second half with a header off a Cole Palmer free kick that hit the bar. This win was a good response to a disappointing 2-2 draw at Aston Villa. Chelsea came back from two goals down after an own goal from Marc Cucurella and a Morgan Rogers strike put Villa ahead at halftime. Chelsea fought back with goals from Madueke and Gallagher but were unlucky not to win when a potential late winner from Axel Disasi was disallowed by VAR for a foul.

Their heaviest defeat of the season came at the hands of Arsenal, where they were thrashed 5-0. The Gunners got off to a quick start with a goal from Leandro Trossard, and Ben White and Kai Havertz added braces in the second half to seal the win for Arsenal. This run of form started with an FA Cup semi-final loss to Manchester City at Wembley. Chelsea arguably played better but missed several chances, and Bernardo Silva scored a late winner to send City to the final.

This is a huge game for Forest's survival hopes. We expect them to fight hard and potentially snatch a point against a Chelsea side that has been inconsistent on the road. It should be a high-scoring match with both teams finding the net. Final score prediction: Nottingham Forest 2-2 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea will be available to watch on the Peacock Network (An NBC live-streaming Platform)