Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea Prediction, Preview, Team News and Lineups 25.05.2025

• Date and Time: Sunday, May 25, 2025, 17:00 GMT+1
• Venue: City Ground, Nottingham, England

Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea Preview and Team News 

Nottingham Forest Team News

Nottingham Forest will return to their home stadium after a 2-1 victory over West Ham on Sunday. The event was dedicated to their hospitalised striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, who recently underwent abdominal surgery.

This win has earned Forest five points from their last three league games, which included draws against Leicester and Crystal Palace before the trip to London. 

Against Chelsea, Nottingham need a victory to reach the Champions League zone. They’ll hope that Aston Villa don’t win in the parallel match against Manchester United.

Who is your Player of the Season? 🎤

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) May 21, 2025

Forest approach this fixture with a relatively stable squad, even without striker Awoniyi. Callum Hudson-Odoi, a former Chelsea player, is expected to start after making a substitute appearance in the previous match against West Ham. 

The participation of key central defender Murillo is in doubt.

Nottingham Forest predicted lineup vs Chelsea

Nottingham Forest predicted lineup vs Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams; Yates, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Dominguez; Wood

Chelsea Team News

Chelsea responded to a damaging defeat at Newcastle (0-2) with a significant home victory over Manchester United (1-0). This allowed Maresca to restore belief that his possession-dominated strategy can withstand the late-season challenges.

The squad need a victory to secure a top-five finish, but a draw against Forest could also be sufficient if Aston Villa doesn’t win at Old Trafford.

Boss. 👊 pic.twitter.com/LCFL8BickA

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 20, 2025

Chelsea face several absences ahead of this crucial fixture. Nicolas Jackson is suspended, serving the second match of a three-game ban. Additionally, Christopher Nkunku and Wesley Fofana are unavailable due to injuries. 

The Blues will rely on their remaining attacking options, with Cole Palmer expected to play a significant role.

Chelsea predicted lineup vs Nottingham Forest

Chelsea predicted lineup vs Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Madueke; George

Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea Head-to-Head Statistics

Recently, the visitors held the upper hand against Nottingham Forest. 

Out of the last nine meetings, Chelsea won five, the hosts won one, and three ended in draws. The previous match earlier this season concluded in a 1-1 tie, with goals from Chris Wood and Noni Madueke.

Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea Player Focus

Chris Wood is a standout performer for Forest this term, netting 20 goals and providing a consistent attacking threat. His physical presence and finishing ability will be crucial against Chelsea’s vulnerable defence.

Cole Palmer has emerged as a key figure in Chelsea’s attack, especially in the absence of Jackson. His creativity and goal-scoring abilities will be vital for the Blues.

Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea Tactical Analysis

In most seasonal events, Forest have adopted a pragmatic approach. They focus on a solid defensive structure, aiming to absorb pressure and exploit counterattacking opportunities. 

In some encounters, Nottingham implement episodic, intense pressing, forcing opponents into mistakes. In the previous game against West Ham, it worked perfectly and helped to score the first goal. 

😎☀️ pic.twitter.com/9gVmcPBbbX

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) May 21, 2025

Chelsea continue to emphasize possession-based football, but still struggle against deep defensive formations and man-to-man pressing. Against Manchester United, they netted just one goal and faced considerable challenges in creating dangerous opportunities.

The absence of Jackson may further disrupt their attacking efficiency. 

Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea Prediction 

• Pick: 1X (Nottingham Forest won`t lose)
• Odds: 1.73 (22Bet)
• Score prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Chelsea

Quite unexpectedly, Nottingham lost in front of their fans to an unmotivated Everton and Brentford, and then drew with relegated Leicester. This weakens the potential home advantage for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team.

Chelsea have only won one of their previous ten away events in the Premier League. This poor performance is largely due to their inability to press effectively when playing on opponents’ grounds. 

Frequent lapses in pressing, combined with difficulties in transitioning from attack to defence, have led Maresca’s side to concede goals and struggle to respond to their opponents.

Hard at work. 💪

📍Cobham Training Centre pic.twitter.com/pOEBHPmgPA

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 20, 2025

Additionally, the lack of a scoring center-forward during the second half of the season has often resulted in Chelsea failing to convert chances into goals on the road.

Therefore, it’s very difficult to predict the outcome of this match. 

But there is a feeling that Forest players will show their best game and, with the support of the stands, will create maximum pressure on Chelsea, who are unstable in away fixtures.

Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea Prediction, Betting Tip

• Pick: Total Under 3.5
• Odds: 1.41 (22Bet)

The price of a mistake will be high in this match, so both teams will probably try to play as carefully and concentrated in defence as possible.

Therefore, in my opinion, we can hardly expect a lot of goals this weekend.

Disclaimer: The content provided on this page, including all football predictions, odds, and related information, is for entertainment and informational purposes only. While we strive to ensure accuracy and timeliness, we do not guarantee the correctness or reliability of any predictions, data, or information presented here. 

Make sure to bet on Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea with our 22Bet Sportsbook!