Two Premier League teams seeking to claim back-to-back victories do battle at Stamford Bridge on Saturday as Chelsea play host to Nottingham Forest.
A 1-1 draw was played out between the two sides at the City Ground earlier this year, with a second-half equaliser from Serge Aurier cancelling out Raheem Sterling's first-half opener.
Match preview
© Reuters
Following a miserable run of six successive defeats, Frank Lampard celebrated his first victory as Chelsea caretaker boss when his side beat Bournemouth 3-1 at the Vitality Stadium last weekend.
Conor Gallagher's early opener was cancelled out by Matias Vina midway through the first half, but two goals inside the final eight minutes of the match from Benoit Badiashile and Joao Felix helped the West Londoners stop the rot and claim three much-needed points for the first time since March 11.
Chelsea have now surpassed the 40-point mark, ending any fears of being dragged into a relegation battle, but they still have plenty of work to do if they wish to avoid their first bottom-half finish in the top flight since 1995-96. Indeed, the Blues sit 11th in the Premier League table and six points behind 10th-placed Fulham with a game in hand.
Lampard and co enter Saturday's contest having failed to win any of their last six games at Stamford Bridge. In the Premier League, only five teams have picked up fewer points at home than Chelsea (23) so far this season, while only basement club Southampton (17) have scored fewer goals than the Blues (18) in front of their own fans.
Chelsea have won each of their last six home matches against Nottingham Forest, though, albeit five of those in cup competitions, and they have scored at least two goals on each occasion which bodes well for the Blues this weekend.
© Reuters
Nottingham Forest fans must have been fearing the worst when their side endured a torrid 11-game winless run between February 11 and April 22, but Steve Cooper's men have since won two of their last three Premier League matches to restore hope of avoiding an immediate demotion to the second tier.
Just under two weeks after beating Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 at the City Ground, Forest claimed maximum points in a thrilling 4-3 home victory over Southampton on Monday night, with Taiwo Awoniyi (2), Morgan Gibbs-White and Danilo all on the scoresheet.
Form at the City Ground has certainty been Forest's saving grace to date as they have accumulated 27 of their 33 points at the City Ground, with their latest triumph helping them climb out of the relegation zone and up to 16th in the table, three points above the drop zone with just three games remaining.
However, Cooper's side have the worst away record in the top flight this season having picked up just six points from 17 matches on the road. Indeed, the Tricky Trees have won just one, drawn three and lost a joint-high 13 away games, while they have also scored the fewest away goals (eight) and have conceded the joint-most (41) in the division.
Forest have lost each of their last seven away league matches, last enduring a longer losing run on the road between October 1961 and February 1962 (nine in a row), and they have also suffered defeat in all five visits to the capital this term, so the odds are firmly against Cooper's side winning their first league game at Stamford Bridge since a 2-0 success in January 1995.
Team News
© Reuters
Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell picked up a hamstring injury in the win over Bournemouth and now joins injured quintet Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mason Mount and Armando Broja on the sidelines, while Wesley Fofana, who missed the win over the Cherries, is doubtful with a hamstring issue.
Cesar Azpilicueta is expected to start at left-back in the absence of both Chilwell and Cucurella, with Lampard set to stick with a back four including Badiashile, Thiago Silva and Trevoh Chalobah.
Mateo Kovacic could return to centre-midfield at the expense of either Gallagher or N'Golo Kante, while Felix, Sterling, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic will all be pushing to start on the flanks ahead of either Mykhaylo Mudryk or Noni Madueke, who both started against Bournemouth.
As for Nottingham Forest, Cooper has revealed that Aurier is "touch and go" due to fitness issues and Renan Lodi (knock) is also a doubt, while Dean Henderson, Chris Wood, Scott McKenna, Giulian Biancone, Omar Richards, Neco Williams, Jonjo Shelvey, Jack Colback and Emmanuel Dennis all remain in the treatment room. Gustavo Scarpa is also sidelined but he has resumed full training and is closing in on a return.
The potential absence of Aurier could see Joe Worrall handed a start at right-back, while Harry Toffolo is the most likely candidate to play at left-back if Lodi is not deemed fit to start.
Cheikhou Kouyate and Remo Freuler will push to start in centre-midfield, while a front three of Gibbs-White, Awoniyi and Brennan Johnson is expected to continue following their impressive performance as a trio last time out.
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Kepa; Chalobah, Silva, Badiashile, Azpilicueta; Kante, Fernandez, Kovacic; Madueke, Havertz, Sterling
Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:
Navas; Worrall, Felipe, Niakhate, Toffolo; Freuler, Mangala, Danilo; Gibbs-White, Johnson; Awoniyi
We say: Chelsea 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Chelsea will hope that their latest victory can act as a springboard for a run of positive results to end the season on a high, but they will face a fired-up Nottingham Forest side who will be desperate to further boost their survival hopes with a win on Saturday.
The Blues have struggled to score goals on home soil this term, but against a leaky Forest backline, we expect Lampard's side to have more joy in the final third and come away with maximum points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
