The curtains will on the 2024/25 Premier League season on Sunday with Gameweek 38. The final round of fixtures will start and end with ten simultaneous matches, including Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest may rue the dreadful form during the run-in if they fail to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. The Tricky Trees were comfortable for most of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, sitting third on the table until Gameweek 33. However, two wins in seven games have taken Nuno Espirito Santo’s men from third to seventh, with their fate out of their hands.
On the other hand, Chelsea’s faltering fortunes have been similar to Nottingham Forest, albeit over a longer period. The Blues were second until Gameweek 17 after losing only two of their opening 17 games. However, five victories in 16 matches took them from second to sixth before they recovered to fifth with five wins in their six most recent outings.
The reverse fixture saw Chelsea come from a goal down to hold Nottingham Forest to a 1-1 draw, with Noni Madueke scoring the equaliser. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams; Dominguez, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Nkunku
While Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Enzo Fernandez were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Cole Palmer as the Player to Watch for Sunday’s Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Chelsea at the City Ground.
The English international has enjoyed another solid campaign, he has not reached the heights of last season. Palmer has failed to score from open play in his last 21 outings in all competitions, with his only goal in this run a penalty against Liverpool on May 4.
In addition, Palmer has scored only two of his 15 goals this season outside London – against Wolverhampton Wanderers in August and Southampton FC in December. So, he will be eager to correct that record as he looks to build momentum towards the UEFA Europa Conference League final against Real Betis.
Two finals await Chelsea as they aim to qualify for the UEFA Champions League and end the 2024/25 season with silverware. However, the Blues do not have a straightforward task this weekend, with Nottingham Forest also vying for a top-five finish.
While the Tricky Trees have slipped up in the last few weeks, they will leave it all on the pitch on Sunday. Ultimately, there might not be much to separate the two sides this weekend. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw, and the result will cost Nottingham Forest a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League. Meanwhile, Chelsea must depend on the results of Manchester United vs Aston Villa and Newcastle United vs Everton.
