Chelsea and Nottingham Forest meet for the third time in three seasons as Sabri Lamouchi’s side travel to Stamford Bridge for their FA Cup third round clash on Saturday.
The Blues knocked out Forest at this stage of the competition last season, while the two teams also met in the EFL Cup in 2017/18.
After a promising start to the season, Chelsea have lost five of their last nine league games – winning three and drawing one.
Still, Frank Lampard’s side remain fourth in the Premier League table, five points clear of fifth-place Manchester United.
The Blues came from behind to beat London rivals Arsenal in their final game of 2019, but Chelsea come into this game on the back of a 1-1 draw with Brighton.
Despite dominating large spells of the game, Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s spectacular late over-head kick cancelled out Cesar Azpilicueta’s early goal.
On the other hand, three wins in the space of seven days have seen Forest cement fourth place in the Championship table.
Following victories over Hull City and Wigan Athletic, the East Midlands outfit beat Blackburn Rovers 3-2 on New Year’s Day.
Lewis Grabban scored twice in the win over Blackburn. The lethal striker has now scored 14 league goals in 2019/20, and he’s playing a starring role in his team’s promotion push this term.
Lamouchi’s side also have an impressive defensive record this season. Only Leeds United and Brentford have conceded fewer goals than Forest in the second-tier.
However, Chelsea will undoubtedly present Forest with a far bigger test than any Championship side can provide, and the Blues’ recent history in this fixture highlights the gulf between the two teams.
Forest have lost their last five away games against Chelsea in all competitions, with three of those defeats coming in FA Cup ties.
Chelsea have also managed to score over 1.5 goals in their last six meetings with Forest – winning on every occasion.
Following a busy festive period, both managers are expected to ring the changes for this clash.
Marcos Alonso is in line to make a return to first-team action for Chelsea, while Lampard could give opportunities to a number of fringe players.
As for Forest, Manchester City loanee Aro Muric could feature after spending a lengthy spell on the bench due to Brice Samba’s recent good form.
Taking everything into consideration, Chelsea look set to record yet another big win over Nottingham Forest this weekend.
Forebet predicts that the home side will score over 2.5 goals while progressing into the fourth round. A clean sheet could also be on the cards for Chelsea.
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