Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is unhappy with his team’s schedule since they will play in two high stakes matches with only three days in between (unlike Real Betis, who have been given two more days to prepare). The Blues will compete against the Tricky Trees at City Ground this Sunday for their final Premier League match of the 2024-25 campaign, followed by their Europa Conference League final against Real Betis in Wroclaw, Poland, on Wednesday.
First things first, Chelsea must get over the hump against Nottingham Forest. The visitors are clinging to the fifth spot in the English top-flight standings with 66 points, level with fourth-seeded Newcastle United and sixth-seeded Aston Villa, who have a big match against Manchester United. Nottingham Forest are seventh with 65 points.
The Blues come into this game in strong form, winning four of their last five league matches. Meanwhile, the Tricky Trees are winless in three of their last four.
Talking Points
No rest for the Chelsea attackers
Chelsea are still without one of their best attackers, Nicolas Jackson, who received a straight red card for hitting Sven Botman with his forearm during the team’s 2-0 loss against Newcastle United two weeks ago. However, he’ll be available for the team in the Europa Conference League final against Real Betis since his suspension doesn’t apply to Europe.
The team went with Tyrique George as the makeshift No. 9, with Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, and Noni Madueke behind him. Don’t be surprised if head coach Enzo Maresca sticks with the same frontline this weekend. Jadon Sancho is also an option off the bench, and he should have fresh legs after not playing against his mother team last time out.
Romeo Lavia could get a start if Maresca wants his team to dominate the ball. The Belgian midfielder had an encouraging cameo against Manchester United and could team up with Moises Caicedo or Enzo Fernandez in the middle of the park.
Nottingham Forest in danger of losing key playmaker
Morgan Gibbs-White could be playing his final game at City Ground since Nottingham Forest may be tempted to sell him this summer. The 25-year-old attacking midfielder is one of the Tricky Trees’ most influential players with seven league goals and eight assists this term. Manchester City are knocking on the door, and Nottingham Forest could get up to £70 million for Gibbs-White if a sale pushes through.
Gibbs-White is in fine form heading into this weekend, scoring two goals in his last two appearances. He helped Nottingham Forest beat West Ham United by scoring the first goal in the 11th minute and was one of the four scorers in the team’s 2-2 draw against Leicester City.
Besides Gibbs-White, Chelsea must also be wary of Chris Wood and Anthony Elanga, who combine for 26 league goals and 15 assists this year.
History
Nottingham Forest and Chelsea shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge during their first league encounter this season last October. Chris Wood and Noni Madueke exchanged goals in the second half, and James Ward-Prowse was sent off in the 78th minute after accruing two yellow cards, reducing Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to 10 men.
The Tricky Trees have won just one of their last seven Premier League matches against the Blues (D3, L3), beating them 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in September 2023.
Chelsea won 3-2 at this exact fixture last term. Enzo Maresca’s side aims to win consecutive away league games against Nottingham Forest for the first time since December 1922.
Nottingham Forest have won 19 Premier League matches this season, more than they did in 2022-23 and 2023-24 combined (W18). They last won at least 20 league games in 1994-95 (W22).
Betting Tip
The Premier League 2025 odds predict a tight contest between Nottingham Forest and Chelsea. Because they’re in better form, the Blues have a slight edge at 2.19, whereas the Tricky Trees aren’t far behind at 2.93, and a draw is at 3.30 in the 1X2 market.
Calling the winner of this match is difficult since these two teams are evenly matched on paper. A draw would be bad for both sides, so I am going for our recommended bet above. SBOTOP football fans and bettors can also go for options like Over 2.50 at 1.68 and Over 2.75 at 1.92 if you’re keen to see new Premier League 2025 highlights. Moreover, a Correct Score of 1-1 – the result of the reverse fixture – could yield a decent payday of 6.50 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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