Premier League: Blues on the way for Cooper’s Forest

Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea

Managing in the top flight of English football is never easy and two of the league’s most troubled managers come face to face at the City Ground when Premier League: Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea is the action on offer.

The two teams meet on New Years day and head coaches Steve Cooper and Graham Potter will hope that 2023 brings with it some good news. After making a superb start as Chelsea manager, Potter’s honeymoon ended abruptly with three defeats in the run-up to the World Cup. The Blues are in eighth place and six points behind the top four, though with a game in hand.

Meanwhile, newly promoted Nottingham Forest, who spent heavily in the summer window, have been in the bottom three for most of the campaign, though they enjoyed a brief resurgence before the break.

Chelsea come into the game on the back of a 2-0 victory over Bournemouth, while Nottingham Forest lost 3-0 away to Manchester United, and I’m predicting more blues for Forest when the Londoners head north on Sunday.

Talking Points

More of the same for Chelsea

Tottenham currently hold the coveted fourth place in the Premier League and they have a very winnable home game against Aston Villa next, so three points at the City Ground is a must for Potter’s men. The Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea betting odds are certainly backing a Blues win and, if they perform as they did in their return against Bournemouth, then Forest are in for a tough afternoon. Potter’s influence was evident once again as Chelsea’s passing was slicker than of late, and chances appeared more quickly than before the break when build up play was all too ponderous. Kai Havertz and Mason Mount both took advantage and the game was pretty much done and dusted by the half hour.

Chelsea played with a high counter press and took calculated risks when in attack, in a 4-3-3 formation which saw Mount, Jorginho and Denis Zakaria interchanging. Potter may be keen to re-introduce Mateo Kovacic, who had a superb World Cup with Croatia and his aggressive running could add another dimension in attack.

Potter will be looking for more of the same and, if anything, more goals.

Can Home Form save Forest?

Unbeaten in five games at home Nottingham Forest stayed in touch with the pack through sheer determination before the break. The Reds suffered a 4-0 thumping at the hands of struggling Leicester City and a 5-0 whacking by leaders Arsenal, but they also picked up a sensational 1-0 victory over Liverpool and a hard-fought win by the same score-line against Crystal Palace. Cooper was under serious pressure after the Leicester drubbing, having brought in a staggering 22 players in the summer, including Jesse Lingard at a high cost; but those two wins in the run-up to the break lifted Forest off the bottom, though they still sit 19^th in the league table after losing to the Red Devils.

Cooper is looking to invest again and Forest have already started their winter shopping with the signing of Gustavo Scarpa from Palmeiros, though the attacking midfielder won’t be available to play against the Blues on Sunday. With influential midfielders, Morgan Gibbs White and Cheick Kouyate sidelined, Cooper really needs to see some form from the likes of Lingard, who should provide the ammunition for striker Taiwo Awoniyi who is top scoring with three goals.

History

These two famous old clubs have met 12 times in the Premier League era and the Londoners have had much the better of the head-to-head Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea results, winning eight to Forest’s two and there have been two draws. In fact, the Blues have won the last six encounters, scoring 17 goals and conceding just three; but this is the first meeting between the two teams for three years.

Nottingham Forest’s record of two wins and four defeats from the last six in all competitions is no surprise, but the fact that Chelsea have an identical record is somewhat.

Betting Tip

At SBOTOP odds of 1.65, Chelsea are strong favourites to see Forest off, with the hosts at 4.84 to win and 3.49 to draw. While Potter’s team had a nasty stutter before the World Cup break, there were clear signs that the time away did them good, while Nottingham Forest were totally outclassed by Manchester United.

For a correct scoreline, a 1-0 victory for the Blues is the most likely outcome at 5.41, with 2-0 at 6.95; and a comfortable away win is where I’m heading.

 

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