Chris Sutton has forecasted that Chelsea will emerge victorious in their upcoming Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, October 6.
However, he does not expect Chelsea to secure a clean sheet.
Chelsea have enjoyed a strong start to the 2024-25 campaign, despite some initial doubts about their new manager, Enzo Maresca, who took over in the summer.
Under Maresca’s leadership, Chelsea have displayed impressive form, currently sitting in fourth place in the Premier League table with four wins.
They are just two points behind the league leaders. Sutton is confident that Chelsea will continue their winning momentum at home when they face Nottingham Forest.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Sutton expressed optimism about Chelsea’s performance this season:
“Chelsea are easier to predict this year. Although I may not always get their scores right, I’ve had better luck predicting their results.
As a former Chelsea player, I feel connected to this current squad, similar to the way I felt with the team I played for.”
Sutton also commented on the difficulty he has had predicting Nottingham Forest’s games: “Nottingham Forest have been a bit of a letdown for me this season. I thought they would get something from their match against Fulham last week, but they didn’t. I won’t be making that mistake again.”
Sutton singled out Chelsea’s standout player, Cole Palmer, for special praise, saying: “Cole Palmer is in red-hot form right now.
It really feels like Manchester City made a massive error letting him go. He plays with such confidence, and it always seems like he’s about to score.
Watching him is a pleasure. While I think Forest may sneak a goal because I’m not entirely convinced by Chelsea’s defense, I still believe this will end in a home win.”
Sutton has predicted a 2-1 win for Chelsea against Nottingham Forest.
Similarly, Alan Shearer has also predicted a Chelsea victory in their match against Forest.
He pointed to Chelsea’s strong form and Forest’s recent disappointing loss, a 1-0 defeat to Fulham, as key reasons behind his prediction.
Shearer also shared Sutton’s admiration for Cole Palmer, who has been in sensational form this season.
Palmer has continued to impress, building on last season’s tally of 27 goals and 15 assists.
So far this season, he has already scored six goals and provided four assists in just six Premier League appearances.
Palmer was the star of Chelsea’s 4-2 win over Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend, scoring all four of Chelsea’s goals in the first half and setting a new record.
In his Premier League predictions for the weekend, Shearer told Metro: “Chelsea are absolutely on fire right now. Forest, on the other hand, had a poor result at home to Fulham and will be looking to bounce back.
But with the way Chelsea are playing, and especially with Cole Palmer in this kind of form, I have to say Chelsea will win again.”
Both Sutton and Shearer are confident that Chelsea will extend their winning streak. Sutton believes the match will end 2-1 in Chelsea’s favor, with Forest possibly managing to score.
However, the overall consensus is that Chelsea, driven by Palmer’s remarkable form, will continue their strong start to the season and secure another three points at Stamford Bridge.
