Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea Prediction for today 18 October 2025 - Football

🔊 For Ange Postecoglou, the clash against Chelsea could be pivotal in his tenure with Nottingham Forest. Sean Dyche, who was dismissed from Everton in January, is being actively considered as his potential replacement. Despite Evangelos Marinakis's reluctance to acknowledge his mistake in appointing the Australian-Greek manager, the team's performance is pushing him towards decisive action. The opponent for Forest's current boss is quite fitting: a prestigious club grappling with personnel issues and a dip in form, and without their suspended manager. Can Postecoglou secure his position in the Premier League under these circumstances? Our editorial team tackles this and other questions in our insightful prediction.

Head-to-Head

📊 Since Nottingham Forest's return to the Premier League, the teams have faced each other six times. Chelsea claimed victory in two of those encounters, while Forest secured one win. The remaining three matches ended in draws. Nearly all of these head-to-head clashes have been thrilling, with an aggregate score of 8-7 in favor of the Blues. Only two of these meetings saw the teams fail to exchange goals.

Nottingham Forest Team Overview

Angelos Postecoglou has been at the helm for just seven matches, yet his position is already under scrutiny. Under his guidance, Nottingham have failed to secure a single victory, recording two draws and five losses across all competitions. Their winless streak now extends to nine games. Neither their dominance against lesser teams in the Europa League nor their Premier League encounters seem to offer any respite. During their away game against Newcastle, the "Forest" failed to create any clear goal-scoring opportunities. Their five attempts towards the "Magpies'" goal resulted in just 0.29 xG compared to the hosts' 3.05 xG. The result: a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Eddie Howe's side.

It's challenging to single out any standout performers from Nottingham's current lineup. Therefore, it's worth focusing on the minutes played on the pitch. Three players have been ever-present: goalkeeper Mathew Sels, defender Neco Williams, and midfielder Elliot Anderson. It's genuinely difficult to find alternatives for them in the "Forest" squad. Thanks to Sels' performance (seven saves), Nottingham avoided a heavier defeat against Newcastle. Neco Williams had a poor showing only against Arsenal (0-3). In all other matches, he has been one of the few bright spots for the team. The same goes for Elliot Anderson, whose individual efforts and dribbling often provided the only means of advancing towards the opposition's goal.

Chelsea Team Overview

The "Blues" crisis, which began after their defeat to Bayern Munich in the opening round of the Champions League (1-3), extended into two Premier League matches. Chelsea suffered setbacks against Manchester United (1-2) and Brighton (1-3). However, it's worth noting that they played most of these matches with a numerical disadvantage. Things took a turn for the better after their victory over Benfica in the Champions League (1-0). Chelsea regained their confidence and solidified their success with a win over Liverpool in the Premier League (2-1). However, this win came at a steep cost. Firstly, Benoit Badiashile and Frank Acheampong were sidelined due to injuries. Secondly, head coach Enzo Maresca was handed a red card and suspended for the next match after celebrating Estevao's injury-time winner too enthusiastically.

Estevao, a summer signing, has been in excellent form recently. His injury-time winner against Liverpool earned him the Man of the Match award, despite coming on as a substitute for just 15 minutes. The young Brazilian further showcased his talent with a brace against South Korea (5-0) during the international break. Moises Caicedo emerged as a leading scorer after his goal against the Reds, sharing the top spot with Enzo Fernandez. Both midfielders have netted three goals each in the Premier League.

Latest news

Nottingham Forest

🎙 Nottingham Forest might change their manager for the second time this season. The leading candidate to replace Ange Postecoglou is former Everton manager Sean Dyche. Here's what the current Forest boss has to say about his team's prospects: "No, no, it's not a hopeless case. Seriously, what's wrong with challenges? Why does everything have to be... Why do we want everything handed to us on a silver platter? If something needs fixing, there will be difficulties in the process. This isn't uncharted territory for me, as I've said," Postecoglou remarked.

❌ Just before the international break, Nottingham's roster took a hit with the losses of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Douglas Luiz. They spent the entire break recovering from injuries, but their readiness for Saturday's match remains uncertain. Ola Aina was sidelined during the September World Cup qualifying cycle. He underwent surgery and won't be available for some time. Chris Wood picked up a knock while playing for New Zealand. It appears to be minor, but the forward will undergo a full assessment upon returning to the club.

Chelsea

🎙 Chelsea's Brazilian winger Estevao recently opened up about his adaptation to life in England. "I'm adjusting faster than I anticipated. It's about the Premier League style, Enzo Maresca's approach, and European football. Off the pitch, it's the culture, which is very different, but I'm really enjoying English culture. It's incredible, full of history. So it's not just me; my family is also loving it," the forward shared his impressions.

❌ Chelsea can't seem to shake off their injury woes. They have one of the longest injury lists in the Premier League. Before the international break, Liam Delap, Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo, Cole Palmer, Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, and Frank Acheampong were all sidelined. During the October international fixtures, Reece James and Enzo Fernandez had to leave their national teams prematurely.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The main referee for this match is Chris Kavanagh. Over his last 20 Premier League matches, he has averaged 3.6 yellow cards. However, he might have a busy game ahead. In their last six head-to-head encounters, the teams have collectively averaged 5.6 yellow cards. Given Kavanagh's restrained officiating style, we suggest betting on total yellow cards over 4.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Nottingham are struggling to create in the Premier League. They've only managed to score more than once in the first matchday under Nuno Espírito Santo, whose style wasn’t known for aggressive attacking play. The same can't be said for Ange Postecoglou. However, under him, the Forest have scored more than once only outside the league. Our prediction: Nottingham Forest total goals under 1.5.

🚩 Corner Prediction

One of the match's intrigues will be who seizes territorial advantage. On paper, Chelsea should dominate. Their possession hasn't dropped below 53% in any of their seven matches, even against Liverpool. However, injuries have depleted the Blues' squad, especially in midfield, which could impact their set-piece opportunities. Despite being in the top two for corners in the Premier League, Chelsea's average of 6.43 just falls short of the desired 6.5 mark. Away from home, it drops further to 5.3. We suggest taking the upper hand for the visitors and betting on Chelsea total corners under 6.5.

Chelsea's emergence from a brief slump, coupled with the international break, has resulted in further roster setbacks for the Blues, particularly affecting their midfield and defense. This has impacted their defensive solidity, as they've failed to keep a clean sheet in six of their last seven matches across all competitions. For Ange Postecoglou's attacking style, this defensive inconsistency is a welcome opportunity in his quest to maintain his position at Nottingham's helm.

Considering Nottingham's high defensive line and the issues that arise from it, Chelsea seem poised for success. The Londoners are expected to outgun their opponents and tilt the match in their favor (2-1). However, the hosts are likely to find the back of the net at least once. Editorial choice: both teams to score (yes).