Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest predictions: Jackson can strike first at the Bridge
- Chelsea are on a five-game winning streak
- Nottingham Forest have picked up seven points from three away games
- Recommended Bet: Nicolas Jackson first goalscorer
After an opening round defeat to Manchester City, Enzo Maresca has hit the ground running as Chelsea boss with 13 points from a possible 15 and his next test is Sunday’s visit of Nottingham Forest.
The Blues go into this round of fixtures with the best attack in the Premier League as they have scored 15 goals in five games and they are on a five-game winning streak across all competitions.
Their winning run could be put to the test on Sunday, however, as Forest have proven to be incredibly tough to break down this term.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side lost for the first time last week as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Fulham but they have been far better on their travels — claiming seven of their nine points on the road.
Team news
Chelsea fielded a rotated side for the midweek 4-2 Conference League win over Gent and their stars should return on Sunday, with Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson set to come back into the starting XI.
The hosts will be without Reece James and Omari Kellyman, who are both missing with thigh injuries.
Ibrahim Sangare and Danilo are unavailable for the visitors due to respective thigh and ankle issues, but key midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White returns after serving a one-game suspension.
The stats
Forest have claimed four points from their two trips to Stamford Bridge since winning promotion in 2022.
Chelsea won the most recent meeting between these sides 3-2 at the City Ground in May.
Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson has four goals in six Premier League games.
Both teams have scored in four of Forest’s seven games across all competitions and in five of Chelsea’s last seven assignments.
Prediction
Forest may be unbeaten on the road, a run that includes an eye-catching win over Liverpool, but Chelsea are deserved favourites as they bid to extend a five-game winning run.
Fatigue after their midweek European game should not be an issue as Maresca shuffled his pack, but the best bet for this game could come in the player markets and home forward Jackson looks a strong contender to open the scoring.
Palmer is Chelsea’s leading scorer with six goals in total but none of those have been openers.
Meanwhile, Jackson has a knack for breaking the deadlock in goalless games as three of his four goals so far have opened the scoring — meaning he has scored the first goal in half of Chelsea’s Premier League fixtures this season.
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