Chelsea are staring down a daunting challenge as they prepare to host Nottingham Forest, desperate to snap a five-match losing streak in league meetings against the Tricky Trees. It's been a turbulent season at Stamford Bridge, with two managers already shown the door, yet there's still a glimmer of silverware on the horizon.
The Blues kicked off their campaign by lifting the World Club Cup last summer, and after edging past Leeds United at Wembley last weekend, they've booked their spot in the FA Cup final. But before they can dream of adding another trophy to the cabinet, they need to rediscover some form—and fast.
Things looked promising back in early March when Chelsea sat fifth after a commanding 4-1 win at Aston Villa. Since then, though, it's been a nightmare. Five straight Premier League defeats—a feat not seen since 1993—and even more alarmingly, they've failed to score in any of those losses for the first time since 1912. That's over a century of history, and the current squad has managed something no Chelsea team has done before.
Since that 1-0 home loss to Newcastle on March 14, 15 different Chelsea players have taken shots, but none have found the back of the net. It's a baffling drought, especially considering the Blues lead the Premier League in expected goals (29.4) and expected goals per shot (0.15) in 2026. Yet they also have the worst differential between actual goals and expected goals (-8.4), highlighting a finishing crisis that's hard to ignore.
The semi-final performance against Leeds offered a glimmer of hope, with Chelsea looking like a completely different side. Fans will be praying that's the turning point. If not, they could lose six league matches in a row for the first time since November 1993—and no Chelsea team has ever lost six straight without scoring in their entire league history.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest are riding a wave of momentum. While European glory might be on their minds, they're not taking their eyes off the Premier League prize. Unbeaten in their last six league outings, the Reds have been on fire, netting nine goals in their past two matches alone. Their 5-0 demolition of Sunderland—where they were 4-0 up by halftime—marked their biggest away win in the top flight since beating Sheffield Wednesday 7-1 back in 1995.
That result gave Forest back-to-back Premier League wins for only the second time this season, and the first under manager Vitor Pereira. A victory at Stamford Bridge would make it three in a row for the first time since their return to the top flight—a statement that would all but secure their safety and pile more pressure on a reeling Chelsea side.