Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest: Premier League preview, predictions and bet builder tips

The Blues looked better under McFarlane at the weekend and have just lost just one of their three matches so far under the interim boss. Most recently, McFarlane coached a win against Leeds to book Chelsea's place in the FA Cup final. With eight days to prepare for this clash, they should be well-rested heading into Monday afternoon.

Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, face a much tougher schedule, coming into this game just three days after their Europa League semi-final clash with Aston Villa on Thursday night.

With contrasting preparation time and plenty at stake, read on for our in-depth Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest bet builder, and don’t forget to check out our complete preview of every single Premier League match from this gameweek.

Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest match details

• Fixture: Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest

• Competition: Premier League

• Date: Monday, May 4, 2026

• Kick-off: 15:00 BST

• Venue: Stamford Bridge

Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest match prediction

Our prediction: Chelsea 2-2 Nottingham Forest

Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest predicted lineups

Chelsea

Our predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Sanchez / Gusto, Chalobah, Tosin, Cucurella / Lavia, Caicedo / Palmer, Fernandez, Neto / Pedro

Nottingham Forest

Our predicted XI (4-4-2): Sels / Aina, Milenkovic, Jair, Williams / Gibbs-White, Sangare, Anderson, Hutchinson / Wood, Jesus

Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest bet builder tips

Chelsea to win or draw

Chelsea have shown encouraging signs under interim boss Callum McFarlane, most recently beating Leeds to reach the FA Cup final.

Preparation time could be key here, with Chelsea having had eight full days to get ready for this fixture, compared to just three for Nottingham Forest following their Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa.

The Blues also boast a strong record in this fixture, going unbeaten in their last four matches against Forest and losing just two of their last 15 meetings overall.

With fresher legs and momentum building, our experts are backing Chelsea to win or draw at Stamford Bridge.

Over 2.5 goals to be scored

Recent matches involving both sides suggest this could be an open, high-scoring contest. For starters, over 2.5 goals has landed in seven of Chelsea’s last ten matches.

Half of the last six meetings between these two sides have also seen at least three goals scored, including a 3-0 win for Chelsea over Forest in the reverse fixture at the City Ground earlier in the Premier League season.

Forest’s recent games have been particularly entertaining, with 15 goals scored across their last five Premier League matches, an average of three per game, including a five-goal haul in their most recent outing.

All signs point towards goals at Stamford Bridge on Monday afternoon.

Enzo Fernandez to have 2+ shots

Enzo Fernandez tends to be a more attacking presence under McFarlane and is consistently getting into shooting positions.

The Argentine averages two shots per game in the Premier League and continued that trend in the FA Cup semi-final win over Leeds, where he registered two efforts, even scoring the winner.

He has scored in two of McFarlane’s three matches in charge, underlining his growing influence in the final third when playing under the interim boss.

Given his advanced role and recent form, Fernandez is well-placed to record at least two shots once again.

Moises Caicedo to be shown a card

Moises Caicedo’s aggressive midfield style makes him a strong candidate to be booked in this fixture.

He was carded in Chelsea’s FA Cup semi-final win over Leeds and has received either a yellow or red card in over 34% of his Premier League appearances this season.

Caicedo commits an average of 1.5 fouls per game and even gave away a foul in the reverse fixture against Forest despite only playing the second half.

With Forest likely to pose a threat on the counter, Caicedo could be called into action frequently, suggesting a booking is a decent punt here.

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All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.