Chelsea face Nottingham Forest on Saturday away from residence 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 have now seen throughout the final two and a half video games. They’ve all talked the discuss this week, now it’s time to stroll the stroll.
I feel many are getting carried away and have quick reminiscences. All of us bear in mind latest video games and intervals the place we have now performed effectively for even three video games in a row, however then fully 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 type and doing it once more on Saturday in opposition to Forest will definitely assist improve my optimism somewhat 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 fantastic probability now to maintain this going and construct on the positivity of the final couple of weeks, as a result of we have now 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 somewhat 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 tip of the season, and they’re nonetheless not protected in any respect from the relegation zone. A degree and much more so three factors, could be large for them and this shall be handled like a cup remaining for Nuno Espirito Santo and his gamers.
They gained their final recreation 3-1 away from residence in opposition to Sheffield United, which was an enormous end result for them. Former Chelsea man Callum Hudson-Odoi bagged a brace. and the way he would like to show a couple of individuals incorrect on Saturday too.
In latest video games, Forest have solely narrowly misplaced to Liverpool and Brighton, they usually have had hard-earned attracts in opposition to Luton City and Crystal Palace. They’ve additionally crushed Fulham 3-1 and drawn 2-2 in opposition to Wolves. They’ll setup powerful to beat at residence and in opposition to larger sides will play on the counter. They lately misplaced 2-0 at residence to Manchester Metropolis, however that they had extra makes an attempt on objective (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 count on Chelsea to boss possession, however identical to they’ve within the final two and a half video games (I’m really sick of writing that 😂), they might want to profit from mentioned possession and be as scientific as we have now 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 can have the ultimate workforce information tomorrow, however there needs to be extra boosts and returns from damage and naturally, Christopher Nkunku needs to 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 damage checklist from nowhere, so I’m not going to jinx something!
I do nonetheless suppose we are going to win this recreation. I don’t suppose will probably be a giant scoreline like West Ham, as a result of they had been simply so horrible in opposition to us and I don’t count on 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 recently, so hopefully the very fact I’m now predicting a win doesn’t come again to chunk me!
The one factor that does stick in my thoughts is we misplaced the house fixture in opposition to Forest 1-0 again in September, in order that they know they’ll beat us. Earlier than that defeat, we hadn’t misplaced to Forest since 1997! Forest additionally had their factors deduction upheld after attraction, in order that has made them much more decided to earn these factors again within the remaining video games.
Former Blue Ola Aina, who shall be seeking to lock down their left hand aspect together with Hudson-Odoi, says the rejected factors attraction doesn’t matter to the squad and they’re going to maintain 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, needs to be going there on Saturday and getting all three factors, with none actual doubts. Do we wish Europa League or not? If we do, it is a good probability to strengthen our struggle for that. Go forward and show we’re on our approach again!
