The October international break is over with 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification reaching its denouement and so the Premier League gets back underway with Ange Postecoglou's Nottingham Forest welcoming Chelsea this lunchtime.
Postecoglou was appointed as Forest boss about a month ago after the tumultuous departure of Nuno Espirito Santo. He is under massive pressure having endured a miserable start with a seven-match winless streak across all competitions.
2025 FIFA Club World Cup winners Chelsea head to Nottingham needing some consistency and to build on their defeat of reigning Premier League champions Liverpool a couple of weeks ago. They will be without Enzo Maresca on the touchline due to a one-match suspension. But will they have his namesake available in midfield?
The Sporting News brings you the latest tips and odds for this weekend as Nottingham Forest take on Chelsea in what may well be a must win clash for the hosts at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest vs. Chelsea: Who Will Win?
Ange Postecoglou is in desperate need of a performance and a result this weekend. There have been signs of his style of play bedding in, but only slightly, and there have already been suggestions that Sean Dyche could soon come in to replace the Australian.
Chelsea haven’t been at their best this season after a curtailed pre-season due to their involvement in the aforementioned FIFA Club World Cup but their late win against Liverpool before the break should provide them with some confidence.
It is not the best circumstance or opponent for Postecoglou to be facing when in such desperate need for a win and Chelsea will be confident of taking advantage of a potentially difficult atmosphere for the hosts.
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Head-to-Head: Nottingham Forest vs. Chelsea
- The most recent meeting between these two sides saw Chelsea win at the City Ground on the final day of last season to earn themselves a top five finish and UEFA Champions League qualification.
- That victory for the Blues means that Chelsea have now suffered just one defeat to Forest in the last 13 meetings between these two, stretching back to 1997.
- Overall, there have been a total of 100 clashes between Chelsea and Forest with Chelsea winning 42 of those meetings and Forest coming out on top on 27 occasions.
Nottingham Forest vs. Chelsea: Form Guide
Nottingham Forest – Last 5 Matches (All Competitions)
- Newcastle United 2-0 Nottingham Forest (Premier League)
- Nottingham Forest 2-3 Midtjylland (UEFA Europa League)
- Nottingham Forest 0-1 Sunderland (Premier League)
- Real Betis 2-2 Nottingham Forest (UEFA Europa League)
- Burnley 1-1 Nottingham Forest (Premier League)
Chelsea – Last 5 Matches (All Competitions)
- Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool (Premier League)
- Chelsea 1-0 Benfica (UEFA Champions League)
- Chelsea 1-3 Brighton and Hove Albion (Premier League)
- Lincoln City 1-2 Chelsea (EFL Cup)
- Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea (Premier League)
Nottingham Forest vs. Chelsea Score Prediction
The home crowd will get behind Forest initially but they could also turn very quickly having already expressed their displeasure at the reign of Postecoglou, most notably in their UEFA Europa League defeat at home to Danish side Midtjylland a few weeks ago.
Chelsea, themselves, have hardly been convincing or consistent but they will still fancy their chances of heaping the pressure on Forest this weekend in an intriguing East Midlands encounter.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Chelsea (6/1 on Sky Bet)
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Nottingham Forest vs. Chelsea Team News
Nottingham Forest Team News
- Nottingham Forest switched to a back three against Newcastle the other week, with Postecoglou quick to abandon his apparent principles whenever things get a little bit dicey.
- It would be expected that Forest return back to a 4-2-3-1 system with Callum Hudson-Odoi surely given the license to take the game to his former club.
- There is an intriguing debate as to whether Postecoglou continues with Chris Wood, who doesn’t appear to suit his style, or allows former Botafogo striker Igor Jesus to lead the line.
Chelsea Team News
- As well as Maresca, Chelsea are also without plenty of key first-teamers, with Cole Palmer reportedly set to be sidelined until November at the earliest.
- In defence, Chelsea remain without Levi Colwill and now his compatriot and fellow centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo is also an injury absentee for the visitors.
- They have several other key doubts, too, such as Reece James and Enzo Fernandez. Trevoh Chalobah will return from suspension for this week.
Nottingham Forest vs. Chelsea Predicted Lineups
Here’s how we think the two teams will line up for this Premier League clash. FPL managers across the land are waiting to see if Enzo Fernandez will be fit to play having missed Argentina's second friendly of the international window to "manage his workload". Fernandez, Pedro Neto and Moises Caicedo are said to have missed training on Thursday, although the photographic evidence is contradictory.
Nottingham Forest predicted lineup to play Chelsea
Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1)
Sels (GK) – Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams – Yates, Anderson – Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi – Igor Jesus
Out: Aina
Doubtful: Zinchenko, Douglas Luiz
Chelsea predicted lineup to play Nottingham Forest
Chelsea (4-2-3-1)
Sanchez (GK) – Gusto, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella – Moises Caicedo, Lavia – Neto, Fernandez, Alejandro Garnacho – Joao Pedro
Out: Colwill, Adarabioyo, Dario Essugo, Palmer, Mudryk (suspended), Delap
Doubtful: Fofana, James, Santos, Fernandez
Nottingham Forest vs. Chelsea Betting Odds
- Nottingham Forest to win (29/10 with AKBets)
- Draw (14/5 with Betfair)
- Chelsea to win (19/20 with Betway)
Bet Builder Tips: Nottingham Forest vs. Chelsea
Our bet builder for this game is Chelsea to win, both teams to score, Elliot Anderson to be carded and Joao Pedro to have two or more shots on target. That comes to overall odds of 14.49/1 with Sky Bet.
You can use our bet builder tool below to create your own selections and find the best available odds for this Premier League meeting.
How to watch: Nottingham Forest vs. Chelsea Live stream, TV channel
Here’s all the key information on how to watch Nottingham Forest vs. Chelsea:
- Date: Saturday, October 18
- Venue: City Ground, Nottingham, England
- Time: 12:30 p.m.
- TV/Stream: TNT Sports / discovery+