The Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea clash is set to kick off the eighth matchday of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign as the two sides push for a big win at the City Ground on Saturday, October 18.
The Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea match will be one between two teams riding on polarizing form in the Premier League. As Chelsea are riding high after their recent win over Liverpool in the league, Nottingham Forest are yet to win a single match under Ange Postecoglou.
But with the kind of quality on display for both sets of players, this should be a highly entertaining match in which a lot of drama can be expected because of the two teams’ desire to get a big win after the October 2025 international break.
Match Details
City Ground,
Nottingham, England
18 October
12:30 PM BST
Intense Premier League Clash Incoming as Nottingham Forest and Chelsea Aim To Pick Up Momentum
The Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea clash should be expected to be a highly entertaining match because of the need for both teams to get a win to consolidate their place in the Premier League ladder.
Chelsea have, interestingly, gotten the better of Forest in their recent Premier League clash as they have won two of the last five matches against Ange Postecoglou’s side and now face them with Nottingham Forest in some shaky form.
When it comes to Nottingham Forest, however, they are in desperate need of a win to ease pressure off new manager Ange Postecoglou. The ex-Tottenham Hotspur boss has failed to prove himself as an upgrade to Nuno Espirito Santo at Forest, with Nottingham Forest failing to win any of their first seven matches under his tenure.
It’s time for Big Ange to put money where his mouth is by ensuring that Forest are defensively stronger and are able to produce a more entertaining, clinical display against the defending FIFA Club World Cup champions to get a major win in the league.
Can Chris Wood Tap Into Clinical Form of 2024/25 Season Against Chelsea?
Postecoglou desperately needs goals from his side, with Nottingham Forest failing to score in their last two Premier League games.
For goals, he will always look at the experienced forward Chris Wood – who has experienced a major slip in form in the 2025/26 season. Wood was one of the most clinical strikers in the league last season, scoring 20 goals in the Premier League for Forest.
It’s time for Chris Wood to rediscover his form from last season, and he needs to be way more clinical in the final third. The New Zealand forward has to get into the right places at the right times and finish off chances emphatically to trouble the Chelsea defenders and help his side get a big win.
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Estevao Willian Eager To Fill Void Left by Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer is still not expected to be available for the game against Nottingham Forest, as the Englishman is not expected to return before November.
That means the in-form Estevao Willian now has the chance to fill in for Palmer and bring that special spark to the Chelsea frontline. After scoring against Liverpool in the last Premier League and then scoring for Brazil in the international break, Estevao is enjoying a rich bit of form.
However, it’ll take the Brazilian winger to start proving that he can bring the goods on a regular basis. Estevao needs to be smart with his movement and dribbling to get past players with ease.
Moreover, he needs to be effective with his final product, nailing his crosses and shots on target to trouble the hosts and guide Chelsea to a necessary away win.
Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea Injuries
Nottingham Forest injuries: Ola Aina, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Douglas Luiz
Chelsea injuries: Levi Colwill, Liam Delap, Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Dario Essugo
Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea Predicted Lineups
Knowing the importance of this clash, both Ange Postecoglou and Enzo Maresca will be eager to field their strongest XI. Here we look at the Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea predicted lineups for this clash:
Nottingham Forest predicted XI: Matz Sels (GK), Jair Cunha, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, Nicolo Savona, Ibrahima Sangare, Elliott Anderson, Neco Williams, Morgan Gibbs-White, Dan Ndoye, Chris Wood
Chelsea predicted XI: Robert Sanchez (GK), Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Benoit Badiashile, Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Facundo Buonanotte, Pedro Neto, Estevao William, Joao Pedro
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Visionhaus
Recording Date: 03.10.2025