90min

Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea - Premier League: TV channel, team news, lineups & prediction

By Grey Whitebloom

Nottingham Forest have been knocked out of the FA Cup by Chelsea four times this century
Nottingham Forest have been knocked out of the FA Cup by Chelsea four times this century / Sebastian Frej/MB Media/GettyImages
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Nottingham Forest welcome Chelsea to the City Ground in the Premier League on New Year's Day.

Steve Cooper conceded that his side endured a 'tough night' on their post-World Cup return, losing 3-0 away to Manchester United which left Forest second from bottom.

Chelsea, conversely, earned their first Premier League victory since the middle of October, swatting aside Bournemouth - who finished eight points above Forest in last season's Championship.

Here's everything you need to know about Forest's attempts to avoid an eighth consecutive defeat against Chelsea.

Where are Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea playing?

  • Location: Nottingham, England
  • Stadium: City Ground
  • Date: Sunday 1 January
  • Kick-off Time: 16:30 GMT / 11:30 ET / 08:30 PT
  • VAR: Andre Marriner
  • Referee: Peter Bankes

Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea H2H Results (Last Five Games)

  • Nottingham Forest: 0 Wins
  • Chelsea: 5 Wins
  • Draws: 0

Current Form (Last Five Games)

  • Nottingham Forest: DWWWL
  • Chelsea: WLLLW

How to watch Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea on TV and live stream

United Kingdom

  • Sky Sports Main Event (UK)
  • Sky Sports Premier League (UK)
  • Sky Sports Ultra HDR (UK)

United States

  • Peacock Premium (United States)

Canada

  • fuboTV (Canada)

Nottingham Forest team news

Jesse Lingard went down holding his heavily strapped leg in the opening hour of Forest's defeat against his former club Manchester United, leaving his involvement this weekend in doubt.

Morgan Gibbs-White's recovery is 'ongoing' according to Cooper. Omar Richards (leg) and Moussa Niakhate (hamstring) are also building up their fitness but Chiekhou Kouyate (thigh) and Guilian Biancone (knee) are set for an extended spell on the sidelines.

In brighter news, first-choice goalkeeper Dean Henderson will be available after sitting out the clash with his parent club.

Nottingham Forest predicted lineup vs Chelsea

Nottingham Forest Starting 11 (4-3-3): Henderson; Aurier, Worrall, Boly, Lodi; Freuler, Mangala, Yates; Johnson, Dennis, Awoniyi.
Bench: Hennessey, Smith, Cook, McKenna, Toffolo, Williams, Colback, O'Brien, Surridge.

Chelsea team news

At the end of what Reece James described as 'the toughest year to date', Chelsea's full-back damaged the same knee which was injured during the World Cup. The defender is only predicted to be sidelined for a month at most but admitted that his fitness struggles have 'affected me mentally'.

Wesley Fofana endured a setback from a knee injury of his own, pushing his return date deeper into January. Ben Chilwell (thigh) and Ruben Loftus-Cheek (calf) are on the verge of being available once again but may miss out on Sunday's showdown.

Armando Broja won't be seen for the rest of the season while N'Golo Kante is out until March but Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech could play a role after returning from the World Cup.

Chelsea predicted lineup vs Nottingham Forest

Chelsea Starting 11 (4-2-3-1): Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Silva, Koulibaly, Cucurella; Zakaria, Jorginho; Sterling, Mount, Pulisic; Havertz.
Bench: Bettinelli, Chalobah, Gallagher, Chukwuemeka, Hall, Hutchinson, Aubameyang, Kovacic, Ziyech.

Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea score prediction

No Premier League side has been more reliant upon their home form for results this season than Forest - a whopping 85% of their points (11 of 12) have been earned in front of an invariably fervent City Ground. Combined with Chelsea's poor form on the road - Potter's side has lost three consecutive away matches - there are reasons for positivity from those in Robin Hood country.

However, it would take an eternal optimist to frame Forest as the favourite on Sunday afternoon. The Blues may have stuttered and stumbled into the winter hiatus but they remain a richly talented group. For context, Chelsea's four defeats since Potter's arrival have come against teams in the Premier League's top seven - a long way above relegation-zone-dwelling Forest.

Prediction: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Chelsea

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