Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea LIVE!

Late goals from Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson lifted Chelsea to a 3-2 Premier League victory at Nottingham Forest on Saturday that left the hosts mathematically still in danger of relegation.

Mykhailo Mudryk also scored for Mauricio Pochettino's team, who are seventh in the table with two games remaining. Forest are 17th and three points clear of 18th-placed Luton Town, but with a vastly-superior goal difference that should ensure their Premier League survival. Both Forest and Luton have a game remaining.

Chelsea got on the scoreboard in the sixth minute when Cole Palmer sent a through ball to Mudryk, who swept a shot into the far bottom corner. Strikes from Willy Boly in the 16th minute and Callum Hudson-Odoi in the 74th made for a carnival atmosphere at the City Ground. But Sterling scored the equaliser in the 80th minute and then Jackson silenced the Forest crowd two minutes later when he headed in a cross from skipper Reece James. Read back the blog below.

Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea latest news

Full-time!

19:31 , Alex Young

99min: Chelsea win! A huge three points which looked very unlikely for much of the game.

19:28 , Alex Young

96min: Into the final minutes as Forest look for the goal which will confirm they have avoided relegation.

19:25 , Alex Young

93min: Gusto gets wiped out as he shoots at goal inside the area, but VAR take a look and are not interested.

Looked like a foul to me...

19:23 , Alex Young

91min: Seven minutes added on.

19:20 , Alex Young

85min: Forest aren’t done here. City Ground still rocking, though slightly less so.

GOAL!

19:15 , Alex Young

82min: Complete turnaround!

James, on as a substitute just before Sterling’s goal, puts the ball on a plate for Jackson to head home!

GOAL!

19:13 , Alex Young

80min: Well, well, well! Sterling has cut inside and beaten Sels, just like Hudson-Odoi did minutes earlier.

Game in for the final 10 minutes.

Nizaar Kinsella at The City Ground

19:11 , Alex Young

There are chants of "Chelsea reject" about Hudson-Odoi at the City Ground.

The former Blues winger has just scored a spectacular goal moments after hitting the bar.

Chelsea can't live with the player they sold for £5million to give Mudryk his spot on the wing for £88.5m.

19:10 , Alex Young

78min: Forest needed just a point to make 100% of their Premier League status this afternoon. Three points is dreamland.

19:08 , Alex Young

76min: Chelsea gave Hudson-Odoi about five goes to get his eye in before he got it right. It’s been a woeful display from Chelsea.

GOAL!

19:07 , Alex Young

75min: It’s been coming! Hudson-Odoi cuts inside the curls a shot past Petrovic!

And, of course he celebrates!

19:06 , Alex Young

73min: Sterling is on for Mudryk.

BAR!

19:04 , Alex Young

71min: Hudson-Odoi cuts inside a smacks the top of the bar! This game is there for Forest, in a big way.

19:01 , Alex Young

70min: As I typed that, Hudson-Odoi sent Petrovic sprawling with a smart shot which fizzed wide.

19:01 , Alex Young

69min: Chelsea starting to rack up chances as we approach the final 20 minutes. Palmer again at the centre of it.

18:59 , Alex Young

67min: Palmer’s effort is straight into the wall.

18:58 , Alex Young

66min: Palmer wins a free kick on the edge of the area. Looked soft but Danilo did stick a leg in.

POST!

18:56 , Alex Young

63min: Palmer’s free kick is headed onto the post by Silva!

Chelsea creating nothing, unless Palmer has the ball at his feet.

Nizaar Kinsella at The City Ground

18:54 , Alex Young

Early substitutions by Mauricio Pochettino shows just how uncomfortable Chelsea have been.

It must have been a case of 'can these players improve after half-time'? The answer was no. If anything, Chelsea look worse now but the good news is there are really options on the bench.

18:51 , Alex Young

59min: Nkunku and Gusto are on for Badiashile and Madueke.

MISS!

18:50 , Alex Young

58min: How have Forest not scored?!

Hudson-Odoi’s cross is headed onto the post from a yard out by Gibbs-White and then Woods cannot convert the rebound point-blank range!

18:48 , Alex Young

57min: Gusto is being readied.

18:47 , Alex Young

55min: Almost a beauty from Palmer, latching on to Madueke’s over-the-top lofted pass and onto his team-mate’s boot for the volley.

18:46 , Alex Young

54min: I’m really not sure what Yates is trying to do there. Almost lashes out of Gallagher’s face when trying to win the ball. Bizarre.

18:45 , Alex Young

53min: Superb effort from Yates from the edge of the area, which has Petrovic beaten but not the right-hand post.

18:42 , Alex Young

49min: Aina now tries his luck with his boot from 40 yards which isn’t a million miles away from Petrovic’s goal.

18:41 , Alex Young

48min: Another huge throw-in from Aina causes slight panic in the Chelsea area before a clearance.

That is some secret weapon.

Second half!

18:38 , Alex Young

46min: Back underway.

18:37 , Alex Young

No changes at the break.

18:35 , Alex Young

I wonder if Spurs came up in this convo.

18:31 , Alex Young

The hosts are firmly on top, with Mudryk's well-taken opener against the run of play.Chelsea haven't had much of a sniff. A point for Forest today will relegate Luton.

Half-time!

18:21 , Alex Young

51min: There’s the whistle!

18:21 , Alex Young

50min: Up the other end, Gibbs-White tries his luck from distance but it sails harmless into Petrovic’s gloves.

Forest, and their fans, have lost some of their impetus. Half-time is approaching.

18:19 , Alex Young

49min: Yates goes in late on Madueke. Lucky not to be booked.

18:17 , Alex Young

Naughty Blues.

18:16 , Alex Young

46min: Five minutes added on.

18:13 , Alex Young

42min: Meanwhile, Chelsea have that corner. Palmer takes, both Gallagher and Badiashile jump for it, but it’s wide.

18:12 , Alex Young

41min: Yates is going to try and run this off.

18:11 , Alex Young

40min: Yates is down again off the ball, clutching his left knee. Doesn’t look good.

18:10 , Alex Young

38min: Badiashile tries his luck from distance, and it’s well hit but a deflection off Boly takes it behind.

18:10 , Alex Young

35min: Gallagher booked for dragging back Hudson-Odoi. Cynical, but had to be done.

18:03 , Alex Young

32min: Palmer whips in a Chelsea corner but it doesn’t beat the first man.

18:02 , Alex Young

30min: A little coming together between Cucurella and Yates, with the latter coming off worse. A battle to watch, that.

17:57 , Alex Young

26min: Chelsea trying to slow Forest down with a sustained period of possession. They need a bit of control.

Nizaar Kinsella at The City Ground

17:54 , Alex Young

That's the 60th goal Chelsea have conceded this season, a club record in the Premier League. Chelsea are also just the second team to score and concede 60 or more goals in a 38 game Premier League season.

Fittingly, there looks to be more goals in this game.

Cole Palmer is just the fourth player in Premier League history to score over 20 goals while also delivering 10 assists. What a season he is having.

17:54 , Alex Young

23min: Forest back on top, as they were until the Chelsea goal.

Danilo whips in another corner, which Petrovic is forced to tip away.

Nizaar Kinsella at The City Ground

17:51 , Alex Young

Chelsea proving what a soft touch they can be away from home. Benoit Badiashile concedes a needless foul on the counterattack and Willy Boly heads in unchallenged from the resulting free-kick.

Very poor. The goal survives a long, pointless VAR check.

17:50 , Alex Young

19min: Almost a second Forest goal! Wood climbs highest to meet a cross at the back post, sends it back across goal but out of reach for Gibbs-White to poke home.

17:49 , Alex Young

17min: A deflection off Gallagher may have taken that past Petrovic.

GOAL!

17:48 , Alex Young

16min: Gibbs-White floats the ball in and Boly nods home. So easy!

17:46 , Alex Young

14min: Badiashile into the book for a needless foul and now Forest have a free kick in a good position.

GOAL!

17:43 , Alex Young

8min: Well. Out of nothing Chelsea lead! Inch-perfect from Palmer to break the defensive line, Mudryk runs onto it and rolls a shot beyond Sels.

17:42 , Alex Young

11min: Forest trying to hit back immediately as the ball drops to Gibbs-White on the edge of the area, but Cucurella does enough to put him off.

17:41 , Alex Young

9min: Palmer’s assist was his 32nd goal contribution in 50 Premier League games.

17:37 , Alex Young

6min: This time Forest launch a huge throw into the area, with Yates again the target but the header loops over.

17:36 , Alex Young

5min: Danilo takes, Yates attack

17:35 , Alex Young

4min: Nice cross from Murillo towards Wood in the six-yard box, but it’s headed away for a corner.

Chance!

17:34 , Alex Young

2min: Wood probably should score just one minute into this one, failing to lift the ball over Petrovic while running through one-on-one.

Nottingham Forest channelling the energy of a jubilant crowd after results went their way ahead of kick-off.

KICK-OFF!

17:31 , Alex Young

1min: Here we go!

Nizaar Kinsella at The City Ground

17:29 , Alex Young

Boos for the Premier League anthem at the City Ground. The last time I heard such booing was when I watched Everton playing.

Nottingham Forest remain angry about their points deduction and the perceived unfair treatment.

Nizaar Kinsella at The City Ground

17:27 , Alex Young

Some record, that.

17:26 , Alex Young

Here come the teams.

17:18 , Alex Young

Final words from Nizaar before kick-off.

16:59 , Alex Young

So, Burnley have lost at Tottenham so they are relegated.

Luton have lost at West Ham, so a point for Forest tonight will confirm their Premier League status.

16:55 , Alex Young

This is Cole Palmer’s 50th Premier League game. What an impact he has had at Chelsea.

Nizaar Kinsella at The City Ground

16:50 , Alex Young

Chelsea have produced two great back-to-back performances with this team in a new system, which sees Cucurella step into midfield in the build-up.

There are great options available to Pochettino on the bench as James and Ugochukwu return.

Nottingham Forest will be a different test for Chelsea, who haven't won in five away matches and only won once outside of London, and that was at Luton just outside the capital.

16:48 , Alex Young

Forest make one change, with Niakhate replacing Elanga. Awoniyi is on the bench.Chelsea are unchanged. James is back on the bench looking for his first minutes since December 10. Gusto joins him.

Team news in full

16:40 , Alex Young

Nottingham Forest XI: Sels; Montiel, Boly, Murillo, Niakhate, Aina; Gibbs-White, Yates, Danilo, Hudson-Odoi; Wood

Subs: Turner, Sangare, Kouyate, Awoniyi, Toffolo, Dominguez, Elanga, Origi, Omobamidele

Chelsea XI: Petrovic, Thiago Silva, Cucurella, Badiashile, Chalobah, Madueke, Mudryk, Palmer, Caicedo, Gallagher(c), Jackson

Subs: James, Disasi, Casadei, Nkunku, Bettinelli, Gusto, Ugochukwu, Sterling, Colwill

Nottingham Forest XI

16:35 , Alex Young

...and the hosts!

Chelsea XI

16:32 , Alex Young

Here’s how the Blues look.

Nizaar Kinsella at The City Ground

16:28 , Alex Young

Huge cheers in Nottingham as West Ham score their second goal. Everyone at the City Ground is watching the result come in and a lot of love is coming Tomas Soucek's way.

16:24 , Alex Young

This will not come as a surprise, but both Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer start.

16:17 , Alex Young

Team news is imminent. James is expected to be named on the bench for the first time this calendar year.

Match odds

16:09 , Alex Young

Nottingham Forest to win: 2/1

Chelsea to win: 10/11

Draw: 2/1

Nizaar Kinsella at The City Ground

16:04 , Alex Young

What a glorious day it is alongside the Trent River in Nottingham. This is a hot day and will bring an even hotter atmosphere as Forest fans will push for survival in a beer-fuelled frenzy on one of the most beautifully sunny days of the season.

The streets are full of fans already with plenty of Chelsea fans also arriving early to soak in the pre-game atmosphere.

Head to head

15:56 , Alex Young

Forest are unbeaten against Chelsea since returning to the top-flight, drawing twice and beating them at Stamford Bridge in September.

• Nottingham Forest wins: 27

• Chelsea wins: 40

• Draws: 30

Marinakis confident of Forest survival

15:50 , Alex Young

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is confident Nuno Espirito Santo's side will avoid relegation and says he "big dreams" for the club.

Marinakis spoke of his plans for Forest after seeing another club he owns, Olympiakos, book their place in the Europa Conference League final on Thursday night by defeating Aston Villa in Piraeus.

The 56-year-old, who took control at the City Ground in 2017, told the BBC: "I'm confident we will stay up and I'm confident that you will see in years to come where Forest will be.

"I think that what I have done so far for Forest, the investment, the time, I think we have achieved great things and now you will see we want to build a big stadium, a new training centre.

"It's a great team, it inspires us and we want to do more and you will see in the years to come that we have big dreams for Forest."

Pochettino says uncertain Chelsea future has complicated turbulent season

15:41 , Alex Young

Mauricio Pochettino says it has been a struggle to work while in the dark over his Chelsea future.

When asked about the situation's impact, Pochettino said: “We are so comfortable. In the way we are not comfortable is to put in doubt — like are you are talking — are going to be here or not here?

“First, it is not my decision because if the owners are thinking to change — yes, for sure in one week [at the end of the season] we will know.

“That’s an instability with which we are comfortable working. We are going to be very strong in our efforts to help. It’s true that in the last few months, like we were talking, that question has always come up.

“You need to kill the rumours; if that’s not true, if not, the rumour is there for a different strategy.

He added: “If you ask, is it affecting me? It is not affecting me. Is it affecting the people working with us? I think yes because, in the end, you can kill the rumour and sack me, and that’s not a problem. It happens in a lot of clubs.”

15:35 , Alex Young

Lovely, lovely day for it.

Score prediction

15:31 , Alex Young

The earlier results have a chance to impact this match in a wide variety of ways, but going into the weekend Chelsea’s poor away form makes a draw the most likely result.

A 1-1 draw.

Chelsea team news

15:24 , Alex Young

Chelsea could welcome back captain Reece James today as Mauricio Pochettino’s long injury crisis finally eases off.

Blues skipper James has taken part in full training at Cobham alongside midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu, who has also been out since December with hamstring issues, and dropped a hint on X earlier today.

Christopher Nkunku, Raheem Sterling, Thiago Silva, Axel Disasi, Malo Gusto and Levi Colwill all returned in last weekend's thumping 5-0 win over West Ham.

Chelsea now have just six players on the treatment table, which is their lowest number for some time.

Enzo Fernandez, Robert Sanchez, Ben Chilwell, Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia and Carney Chukwuemeka all remain out.

It leaves manager Pochettino with genuine options for the first time as he remains under pressure to secure his Stamford Bridge future by qualifying for Europe next season.

Mykhailo Mudryk has been the only player to struggle in recent weeks and could be left out for Sterling in a forward line that will include Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson. Otherwise it should be a case of as you were.

Nottingham Forest team news

15:15 , Alex Young

Nottingham Forest's injury woes have eased over recent weeks, with Murillo, Willy Boly, Nicolas Dominguez and Taiwo Awoniyi all returning for the win over Sheffield United.

Awoniyi is now pushing for a start, putting Chris Wood's place under threat.

That also means Nico Williams the only absentee this evening.

Where to watch Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea

15:07 , Alex Young

TV channel: In the UK, today’s game will be televised live on Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League, with coverage beginning at 5pm.

Live stream: Subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app.

Welcome

14:59 , Alex Young

Good afternoon and welcome to the Standard’s LIVE coverage of the Premier League clash between Nottingham Forest and Chelsea.

The Blues are looking for a third win on the bounce as they target a late push for a Europa League spot, while Forest know a win will all but secure their Premier League status for another season.

Kick-off at the City Ground is at 5.30pm. Join us.