Overview
In the context that Chelsea's leadership is "self-criticizing" after the decision to sack Liam Rosenior too early, interim coach Calum McFarlane and his students are enjoying the joy of reaching the FA Cup final after defeating Leeds United.
Enzo Fernandez's header at Wembley ended Chelsea's 3-match goalless streak, and at the same time brought the team to the final match, where Manchester City will be a big challenge on the journey to conquer the title.
Although the board of directors considered many candidates such as Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, Andoni Iraola or Marco Silva, McFarlane still left a positive mark in his short time in charge. However, the next challenge for the 40-year-old captain is to avoid a bad scenario in the Premier League.
If they continue to lose and not score in the next match, Chelsea may set a sad record with six consecutive defeats without scoring - something that has never happened in the club's history in the Premier League. This scenario also almost ends hopes of entering the top 5.
Currently, The Blues are closer to the bottom group than the European Cup group, but the opportunity to participate in the UEFA Champions League is not completely closed. Sixth place may be enough if Aston Villa finishes in the top 5 and wins the UEFA Europa League.
In the opposite direction, Nottingham Forest is in high form when leading Villa in the Europa League semi-finals after a 1-0 victory at City Ground. Chris Wood's penalty goal helped Vítor Pereira's team extend their winning streak to 4 matches and an unbeaten streak to 9 matches in all competitions.
Although the relegation race has not yet been decided, Forest is creating a safe gap thanks to their impressive form, with 12 points in the last 6 Premier League matches. They also made a strong impression when scoring 3 or more goals in 3/4 of the last matches, including victories against Sunderland, Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur.
Notably, Nottingham Forest has never lost at Stamford Bridge since returning to the Premier League in 2022. However, Chelsea once won big 3-0 in the first leg at City Ground - the match that led to Ange Postecoglou being sacked.
Personnel situation
Chelsea receives positive signals about the force when Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro have returned after muscle injuries, while Reece James ( thigh) and Levi Colwill (front cruciate ligament) may also be present in the upcoming match.
However, both James and Colwill are likely not to be started. Colwill still needs time to regain his fitness after a long break, while McFarlane is cautious about James due to a complex injury history.
On the other hand, Chelsea still lacks some important names such as Filip Jorgensen (groin), Jamie Gittens (thigh) and Estevao Willian (thigh). Notably, Mykhailo Mudryk is facing a 4-year ban for doping.
On the Nottingham Forest side, the force situation continues to be affected when Ola Aina is injured in the midweek match. However, Vitor Pereira still hopes that this player can recover soon.
Pereira is also not too optimistic about the ability of Dan Ndoye, Ibrahim Sangare, Jair Cunha (shoulder) and Murillo (thigh) to play. In addition, Nicolo Savona, Callum Hudson-Odoi, John Victor and Willy Boly are all definitely absent.
Expected lineup:
Chelsea: Sanchez, Gusto, Adarabioyo, Chalobah, Cucurella, Lavia, Caicedo, Palmer, Fernandez, Neto, Pedro.
Nottingham Forest: Sels, Abbott, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, McAtee, Anderson, Dominguez, Gibbs-White, Jesus, Lucca.
The match between Chelsea and Nottingham Forest takes place at 9:00 p.m. on May 4 (Vietnam time).
