Chelsea face Nottingham Forest on Saturday away from house within the Premier League for the early night 5.30pm kick off.
It’s an opportunity for Chelsea’s gamers, Mauricio Pochettino, and now Todd Boehly, to place their cash the place their mouths are and proceed the momentum and extra importantly, the highest performances we now have seen throughout the final two and a half video games. They’ve all talked the speak this week, now it’s time to stroll the stroll.
I feel many are getting carried away and have brief recollections. All of us keep in mind current video games and durations the place we now have performed effectively for even three video games in a row, however then utterly fold over and drop off once more within the subsequent two. I feel for my very own sanity I’m remaining very cautious and never getting overly excited like others appear to be. However persevering with this good kind and doing it once more on Saturday towards Forest will definitely assist improve my optimism just a little bit extra. However even when we do, I’ll nonetheless be remaining cautiously optimistic. I’ve seen and heard all of it earlier than.
However, we do have a terrific likelihood now to maintain this going and construct on the positivity of the final couple of weeks, as a result of we now have been unimaginable, particularly within the Tottenham and West Ham wins. Has the tide turned? Have we turned that nook? This recreation on Saturday will go just a little method to answering these questions.
Forest away although is a reasonably harmful recreation to go an play proper now, purely as a result of we’re three video games off the top of the season, and they’re nonetheless not protected in any respect from the relegation zone. Some extent and much more so three factors, could be enormous for them and this will probably be handled like a cup last for Nuno Espirito Santo and his gamers.
They gained their final recreation 3-1 away from house towards Sheffield United, which was an enormous consequence for them. Former Chelsea man Callum Hudson-Odoi bagged a brace. and the way he would like to show a number of folks incorrect on Saturday too.
In current video games, Forest have solely narrowly misplaced to Liverpool and Brighton, they usually have had hard-earned attracts towards Luton City and Crystal Palace. They’ve additionally overwhelmed Fulham 3-1 and drawn 2-2 towards Wolves. They will setup robust to beat at house and towards larger sides will play on the counter. They not too long ago misplaced 2-0 at house to Manchester Metropolis, however they’d extra makes an attempt on purpose (14 vs 11) than Metropolis did, regardless of solely having 33% possession.
Chelsea should be on it defensively and in transition on the counter and if we do lose the ball excessive up the pitch.
We will anticipate Chelsea to boss possession, however identical to they’ve within the final two and a half video games (I’m truly sick of writing that 😂), they might want to profit from stated possession and be as scientific as we now have been of late. If we do this, then we should not have any issues in any respect getting previous this potential banana pores and skin recreation.
Mauricio Pochettino could have the ultimate crew information tomorrow, however there must be extra boosts and returns from harm and naturally, Christopher Nkunku must be within the squad once more. There’s no level me predicting the lineup at this time as a result of everyone knows that as a rule, we get the shock of extra gamers being added to the harm record from nowhere, so I’m not going to jinx something!
I do nevertheless suppose we are going to win this recreation. I don’t suppose it will likely be a giant scoreline like West Ham, as a result of they had been simply so horrible towards us and I don’t anticipate Forest to be in the identical state as they had been in – however I do suppose we are going to win this 2-0.
I’ve not predicted many wins currently, so hopefully the actual fact I’m now predicting a win doesn’t come again to chew me!
The one factor that does stick in my thoughts is we misplaced the house fixture towards Forest 1-0 again in September, in order that they know they will beat us. Earlier than that defeat, we hadn’t misplaced to Forest since 1997! Forest additionally had their factors deduction upheld after enchantment, in order that has made them much more decided to earn these factors again within the last video games.
Former Blue Ola Aina, who will probably be seeking to lock down their left hand aspect together with Hudson-Odoi, says the rejected factors enchantment doesn’t matter to the squad and they’re going to preserve doing their job to earn factors again within the Premier League.
However Chelsea, particularly if we’re utilizing the momentum and actually have turned the nook, must be going there on Saturday and getting all three factors, with none actual doubts. Do we would like Europa League or not? If we do, this can be a good likelihood to strengthen our struggle for that. Go forward and show we’re on our means again!
