Key events
1 min I was wrong about Chelsea’s shape – it looks closer to 4-3-3 today, with Mount playing slightly deeper than he did against Bournemouth.
1 min Peep peep! Forest kick off from right to left as we watch.
“New year’s greetings from California,” says Mary Waltz. “Pulisic gets another chance to impress and he better take advantage of it, He looked just OK in the last match. After a fine World Cup performance he needs to follow that up with a game that justifies the huge investment that Chelsea made in him.”
He’s been around so long that it’s easy to forget he’s still only 24. There’s a world-class player in there, though whether it will ever be found I don’t know.
Before the game, the players gather round the centre circle to pay tribute to a unique visionary: Pele, who died last week aged 82.
“Happy new year Rob,” says Kim Crawley. “The Chelsea shape looks too narrow and with Jorginho sitting deep as a pivot their transition will be too slow. Forest will get in their faces; the Chelsea full backs are going to be busy. Cooper has already won the midfield battle Forest are going to cause a few problems. Sterling and Pulisic will have to play a big defensive role to stop Forest. Hope I am wrong.”
When you say happy new year. (I think it’s a double pivot with Zakaria by the way, though I’m not sure that changes your point.)
The players stroll out of the tunnel, into the City Ground cacophony. What a glorious place it is.
Today’s results so far
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Dimitri Van den Bergh 5-3 Jonny Clayton
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Michael Smith 5-3 Stephen Bunting
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Tottenham Hotspur 0-2 Aston Villa
“As you know, Rob,” lies Ian Copestake, “I believe that the only truth to be found in the modern world is based on goal difference. Spurs have just been handed notice of this while Man Utd’s truly false league position awaits its reckoning.”
That’s bad news for us nostalgics who get all warm and fuzzy when we think about Norwich’s 1992-93 season.
“Christian Pulisic should leave Chelsea this year,” says Kurt Perleberg, “and go back to the US.”
Are you trying to get me cancelled on New Year’s Day?
Pre-match music
The January sales (pt 2)
Full time: Tottenham Hotspur 0-2 Aston Villa
Spurs’ Spursy home form has continued with a surprise defeat to Aston Villa, their third in the last four league games at the Surely We Should Have a Sponsor By Now Stadium. It’s good news for Chelsea, who will be level on points with Spurs if they win their two games in hand.
The January sales (pt 1)
Jonathan Wilson on Graham Potter
Team news
Steve Cooper makes two changes to the Forest team that lost at Old Trafford: Morgan Gibbs-White replaces the injured Jesse Lingard, and Dean Henderson – who was unavailable against his parent club – takes over from Wayne Hennessey in goal.
Graham Potter makes one enforced change, Cesar Azpilicueta for Reece James at right-back.
Nottingham Forest (4-3-3) Henderson; Aurier, Worrall, Boly, Lodi; Yates, Freuler, Mangala; Johnson, Awoniyi, Gibbs-White.
Substitutes: Hennessey, Cook, Williams, Toffolo, McKenna, Colback, O’Brien, Surridge, Dennis.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1) Kepa; Azpilicueta, Koulibaly, Thiago, Cucurella; Zakaria, Jorginho; Sterling, Mount, Pulisic; Havertz.
Substitutes: Bettinelli, Chalobah, Kovacic, Ziyech, Gallagher, Chukwuemeka, Hutchinson, Hall, Aubameyang.
Preamble
Hello, happy new year and welcome to live coverage of the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Chelsea at the City Ground. It’s 19th v 9th, if you’re into the whole league-position thing, and a chance for both teams to start 2023 as they mean to go on.
Forest’s home form is surely going to decide whether they stay up, and so far it’s been pretty good: P8 W3 D2 L3. That includes a good recent run of eight points from four games, including a famous win over Liverpool in October.
Though Chelsea are strong favourites by virtue of having superior association footballers, Forest have a puncher’s chance of another big win against a team who have struggled away from home this season. Chelsea have already lost four times in the league, which is as many defeats as they had in all competitions on the road last season. Before the World Cup they were ambushed 4-1 at Brighton and then well beaten by Newcastle, even if the score was only 1-0.
The victory over Bournemouth after Christmas was much more encouraging, much more “Potterball”, but that was at Stamford Bridge. And they had Reece James for an hour, which won’t be the case today.
Kick off 4,30pm.
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