Nottingham Forest v Chelsea – Line-ups, stats and preview

Match preview for Nottingham Forest v Chelsea

A dramatic final-day clash at the City Ground could decide the fate of both Chelsea and Nottingham Forest’s European ambitions, with a place in the Champions League up for grabs in both camps.

For Chelsea, the scenario is straightforward: win, and a top-five finish – along with a ticket to the Champions League – is guaranteed.

Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, must beat the Blues and hope either Newcastle or Aston Villa slip up in their respective fixtures to leapfrog into the top five.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side ended a four-game winless run last weekend with a 2-1 win over West Ham.

Chelsea also claimed a 1-0 win over Manchester United in gameweek 37, thanks to a late Marc Cucurella header, which continued their rich run of form – six wins in their last seven games in all competitions.

While Chelsea have form on their side, their away record remains patchy. They’ve won just once in their last 10 Premier League road matches and failed to score in six of those.

The Blues were held 1-1 by Forest in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge, but they won 3-2 at the City Ground last season.

The final day. 🔜 pic.twitter.com/eWnmraOg6t

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 22, 2025

Team news for Nottingham Forest v Chelsea

Nuno Espirito Santo has kept his cards close to his chest, but confirmed that Murillo is a major doubt after picking up an ankle injury against West Ham. If he misses out, Morato is likely to deputise alongside Nikola Milenkovic in defence.

Taiwo Awoniyi is making strides in his recovery following emergency surgery but may not be fit enough to feature. Callum Hudson-Odoi is expected to return to the starting XI against his former club.

The visitors are still without Nicolas Jackson, who remains suspended, but Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu are back in contention and could push for starts. Jadon Sancho is also available again after missing out against parent club Manchester United.

However, Wesley Fofana and Omari Kellyman (both thigh injuries) remain sidelined, while Mykhaylo Mudryk continues to serve a provisional doping ban.

Expected line-ups for Nottingham Forest v Chelsea

Nottingham Forest: Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams; Dominguez, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood

Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Nkunku

How to watch Nottingham Forest v Chelsea: TV channel, online stream

Nottingham Forest v Chelsea will be available to watch on Sky Sports and kicks-off alongside the other games at 4pm. Fans in the UK can also stream the match on the Sky Go app.

The stats for Nottingham Forest v Chelsea

• Both teams have 19 wins from 37 games – a win could push either side into the top five.
• Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 7 matches in all competitions (W6 D1).
• The Blues have won just one of their last 10 Premier League away games, scoring only five goals in that stretch.
• Forest have never achieved 20 wins in a 38-game Premier League season – they sit on 19.
• The reverse fixture ended 1-1 at Stamford Bridge back in October.
• Chelsea’s last win at the City Ground came in a 3-2 thriller last season – they haven’t won back-to-back away games at Forest in over a century (1922).
• Forest have won just two of their last six Premier League matches (W2 D2 L2).

Bring that famous City Ground noise. 🔊

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) May 23, 2025

Prediction

With Champions League football at stake, both sides are expected to go for it. Forest will hope home support and momentum help them push the Blues all the way, while Chelsea’s shaky away form may prevent them from sealing the deal.

Forest have shown up in plenty of big games already this season, and we expect them to do the job and turn their attention to other games on Sunday.

Nottingham Forest 2-1 Chelsea