Premier League Matchday 8 starts with Chelsea’s trip to Nottingham Forest.
Saturday’s early kick-off should be an enthralling contest, with the pressure firmly on manager Ange Postecoglou.
Read on as we preview the big match at the City Ground, providing you with online betting tips featuring the latest football odds.
And our brilliant Weekly Premier League Offer can see you credited with a £5 Free Bet this weekend, provided you wager £20 on qualifying Premier League Accas.
Where can I watch Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea in the UK?
Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate, with kick-off scheduled for 12:30pm UK time.
Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea Preview
Postecoglou is yet to taste victory as Forest boss, with the Aussie tactician forced to watch his side lose 2-0 at Newcastle before the international break.
So this really is a must-win match, otherwise the board may look for a new manager – with Sean Dyche tipped as a potential replacement.
Forest’s only win in the Premier League this season came at home on Matchday 1, when the team beat Brentford 3-1 under the guidance of Nuno Espirito Santo.
Since then, the Tricky Trees have lost three consecutive matches at the City Ground to West Ham (0-3), Sunderland (0-1) and Midtjylland (2-3).
The writing is on the wall for this 17th-placed Forest side, and coming up against a confident Chelsea outfit is far from ideal given the circumstances.
After drawing 2-2 with Brentford and suffering defeats to Manchester United (2-1) and Brighton (1-3), Enzo Maresca’s side bounced back emphatically to beat Liverpool 2-1 on Matchday 7 thanks to a dramatic late goal from Estevao.
It sparked scenes of wild celebration at Stamford Bridge, with Maresca shown a red card that will see him banned from the touchline for this fixture, which could play into Forest’s hands to a degree.
Chelsea are also without the services of Cole Palmer due to injury, though Reece James, Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana and Andrey Santos are all expected to be available for selection in a welcome boost.
Trevoh Chalobah is also back from suspension, so Maresca should have plenty of defensive options at his disposal.
Ola Aina is the only confirmed absentee for Postecoglou and Forest, although Oleksandr Zinchenko, Douglas Luiz and Chris Wood are touch-and-go.
This match was played as recently as May, with Chelsea winning 1-0 and securing Champions League qualification thanks to a goal from Levi Colwill.
A repeat of that result would be devastating for Postecoglou…
Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Forest are the big underdogs here, priced at 3.67 to claim the win. A Chelsea victory is at odds of 1.94, while the draw is 3.80.
Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea Betting Tips
Player to score or assist – Callum Hudson Odoi @ 3.25
Ex-Chelsea winger Hudson-Odoi has not started any of Forest’s last three Premier League matches, but Postecoglou may turn to him for some much-needed inspiration tomorrow afternoon. On his day, Hudson-Odoi is unplayable, and with the added element of playing against a former employer, we are taking a calculated risk with this selection.
Estevao to have over 0.5 shots on target @ 1.62
After his winner against Liverpool, Estevao should get the nod to start at the City Ground, especially with Palmer out for the foreseeable future. The Brazilian trickster is certainly not afraid to shoot when he cuts in from the right, averaging a shot on target every 66 minutes in the English top flight. So there is value to be had here!
Elliot Anderson to make over 2.5 tackles @ 1.67
England’s newest star has already made 21 tackles in the Premier League this season at an average of three per appearance. And his defensive skills will be sorely needed tomorrow against a Chelsea midfield containing Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, so we expect this bet to land.
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