Premier League 2022-23: Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea: Predicted lineup, injury news, head-to-head

The sides are on opposite sides of the table currently

Chelsea will try to start over and defeat Nottingham Forest on New Year's Day in order to put a disappointing 2022 behind them. Although Graham Potter's team defeated Bournemouth in a convincing manner to end the year, a first league visit to the City Ground in nearly 23 years is not a given.

Forest is in the running to avoid relegation after defeating Liverpool, Tottenham, and West Ham at home earlier in the season. But a humiliating 3-0 loss at Manchester United has served to remind Steve Cooper's team of the reason they will typically enter Premier League games as underdogs. The City Ground will serve as the venue for the game.

Kick-off: 10:00 PM (IST), 4.30pm (GMT)

Chelsea form (all competition): W-L-L-L-W

Nottingham Forest form (all competition): D-W-W-W-L

Team News

Forest will need Morgan Gibbs-White to be 100 per cent to beat United, but they will have Dean Henderson back in the lineup after he missed that game. Giulian Biancone, Omar Richards, Cheikhou Kouyate, and Moussa Niakhate won't play, while Jesse Lingard's status is also uncertain.

After their World Cup exploits, Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech are once again available for Chelsea. N'Golo Kante, Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Armando Broja are all out with injuries, but Reece James has joined them. Despite his foot injury, Edouard Mendy could rejoin the team.

Predicted Lineups

Chelsea predicted lineup (4-2-3-1):

 Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Silva, Koulibaly, Cucurella; Zakaria, Jorginho; Sterling, Mount, Pulisic; Havertz.

Nottingham Forest predicted lineup (4-3-3): 

Henderson; Aurier, Worrall, Boly, Lodi; Freuler, Mangala, Yates; Johnson, Dennis, Awoniyi.

Players to watch

Orel Mangala

Orel Mangala was the most impressive player for Forest at Old Trafford, but Morgan Gibbs-White, Jesse Lingard, and either Emmanuel Dennis or Taiwo Awoniyi serve as the lead forward for the Tricky Trees most of the time. Taiwo Awoniyi was Forest's leading scorer at Old Trafford.

Christen Pulsic

Christian Pulisic, a winger for the United States Men's National Team, assisted Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling in their successful performance against Bournemouth. Graham Potter is in the process of developing Chelsea's top players.

Head-to-head record

Played: 94

Nottingham Forest: 26

Draws: 28

Chelsea: 40

Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea prediction

No Premier League team has been more dependent on its home performance for results this season than Forest, who has earned an astounding 85% of their points (11 of 12) in front of an almost always enthusiastic City Ground. There are reasons for optimism from people in Robin Hood land when combined with Chelsea's terrible road record—team Potter's has dropped three straight-away games.

Forest would need to be the overwhelming favourite on Sunday afternoon, though, for it to happen. The Blues are still a bunch with a tonne of talent, even though they faltered and stuttered into the winter break. In order to put Chelsea's four losses under some context, let's note that they occurred against teams ranked in the top seven of the Premier League, well above Forest, which is currently in the relegation zone.

Prediction: Nottingham 0-1 Chelsea