Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea LIVE commentary: Kick-off time, team news and where to watch City Ground clash

Nottingham Forest host Chelsea in the first Premier League fixture back from the international break, and it’s live on talkSPORT.

Ange Postecoglou is winless in all seven matches across his tenure as manager at the City Ground, with five results ending in defeat.

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Forest fans were heard singing ‘sacked in the morning’ to him in their 3-2 defeat to Midtjylland, days before they lost 2-0 at Newcastle.

Their visitors Chelsea entered the international break off the back of a dramatic 2-1 home win against Liverpool.

Estevao scored the winner and boss Enzo Maresca was sent off after he ran down the touchline celebrating, so he will serve a one-match ban.

Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea: Date and how to follow

The Premier League fixture will be played on October 18, and kick-off is scheduled for 12:30pm.

talkSPORT will have live coverage from the City Ground on GameDay Exclusive, presented by Reshmin Chowdhury.

Sam Matterface will be joined by former England captain and Forest defender Stuart Pearce on commentary.

To tune in to talkSPORT through our website, click HERE for the live stream.

Listen via the talkSPORT app here, or on DAB digital radio, via your smart speaker, and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

Visit talkSPORT BET for all the latest odds and bet boosts.

The match will also be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate, as well as discovery+.

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• Forest have won just one their last eight meetings with Chelsea in the Premier League [D3, L4], a 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge in September 2023.
• Chelsea have won three of their last four Premier League trips to Forest [D1], including both of their last two. However, the Blues have never won three successive away league games at Forest.
• Forest have lost five of their last seven Premier League matches at home [W1, D1], as many as their previous 22 at the City Ground beforehand (W11, D6). They could lose three successive home matches for the first time since December 2023 [a run of four].

Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea: Team news

Oleksandr Zinchenko looks set to miss the visit of Chelsea with a groin injury he sustained before the break.

The defender, on loan from Arsenal, did not feature for Ukraine in their 2026 World Cup qualifying wins over Iceland and Azerbaijan.

Fellow summer signing Douglas Luiz could also be absent following a hamstring injury he suffered in their 2-2 draw with Real Betis.

Ola Aina remains sidelined after undergoing surgery on a hamstring injury he suffered in September.

Chelsea are still without Levi Colwill and Liam Delap due to ACL and hamstring injuries, respectively.

Cole Palmer‘s chronic groin injury is worst than feared and is set to be out for six more weeks.

Reece James withdrew from international duty with England, but his injury issue was understood to have only been minor.

Tosin Adarabioyo could return from a calf issue, and Trevoh Chalobah is back after suspension.

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Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea: What has been said?

At Friday’s press conference, Postecoglou delivered an incredible speech as the pressure increases on him.

He said: “I guess from my perspective, I just don’t fit. Not [talking about] here. Just in general. 

“If you look at it through the prism of: I’m a failed manager who is lucky to get this job – I know you’re smirking at me and that’s what’s being said and I can find the print where that’s being said – then of course it looks like this manager is under pressure. 

“There is an alternative story. I came to the Premier League two years ago, I took over Tottenham – ‘Spursy Tottenham’. I was told by the chairman at the time: ‘This club has to win a trophy. We’ve tried to bring winners in, Jose [Mourinho] and Antonio [Conte] and it hasn’t worked, we need something different.’

“I was slightly offended by that as I see myself as a winner. 

“I took over Spurs who finished eighth. No European football. Massive club who can’t have two years without European football. We finished fifth in my first year. And every time Harry Kane scores a goal, I wish he’d just stayed one more year. It would have been handy to have him after finishing fifth.

“But somehow that year has disappeared from the record books. In fact it was used as a reason for me losing my job because even Tottenham decided to exclude the first 10 games because they were an anomaly apparently. Although the first 10 games here are very important apparently. 

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“We finished fifth, I got them back into European football where Tottenham should be. I was in meetings and people still at that club were in those meetings where I was told winning a trophy is everything for a football club. That’s fine. 

“We win a trophy. We shed the tag of being ‘Spursy’. It’s Champions League football which brings some rewards, the opportunity to bring in better players. But all I’ve heard since I finished at Tottenham is I finished 17th last year. So if you look at it from that prism of we finished 17th, then yeah, I’m a failed manager who is lucky to get another opportunity.

“But if I have to explain why we finished 17th, it doesn’t have to be too in-depth. Just look at the last five or six different team sheets in the league last year to see who I prioritised, who was on the bench and who I was playing. The last game against Brighton, the players were out for two days partying – which I sanctioned because I felt they deserved to. 

“So we finished 17th, if people think that’s a reflection of me and my coaching, then people are looking at it through the prism of: I just don’t fit.

“So we get to the current space where there’s a different story to tell that maybe I’m maybe not a failed manager who was lucky to get this job – but maybe I’m a manager where if given time, the story always ends the same. At all my previous clubs it ends the same: me with a trophy.

“So just to finish up – and it’s a longwinded answer which probably won’t get any coverage but that’s okay – you can look at these first five weeks and say he is under pressure because he was lucky to get this job.

“Or you can look at it and say there has been a major change. I am trying to change the way we play. The players are adapting but there’s been inconsistency in there for sure. But some will look at the weeds, I will look at what’s growing.

“The flip side is I’m really still excited about the opportunity here. That’s how I’m embracing it. I have a group of young players who are willing to change, that’s the first thing. I’m heading down that road.

“The rest of it? I’m not going to waste my time or my energy worrying about that. Whether it’s internal or external I couldn’t care less. At the end of the day, I will do what I think is the right thing to do to bring success to this football club and that’s what I’m focused on.”