McFarlane insists Chelsea is still attractive to managers

Calum McFarlane says he doesn’t assume he must “promote” the Chelsea supervisor job as he prepares to take cost of the Blues within the Premier League in opposition to Nottingham Forest.

McFarlane, who’s again in interim cost following Liam Rosenior’s sacking final week, acquired Chelsea again to successful methods in opposition to Leeds United within the FA Cup, reserving their place within the remaining.

Nevertheless, focus now returns to the top-flight, the place Chelsea have misplaced their final 5 video games, all with out scoring. The run that has seen them drop down the desk to eighth, two factors behind sixth-place Brighton, and 10 behind Aston Villa within the remaining Champions League place.

McFarlane insists Chelsea nonetheless maintain the identical draw they all the time have and has not dominated out a late surge again into the highest 5 if they’ll flip their type round.

“I don’t assume I’ve to promote that [the job] in all honesty. It’s one of many greatest golf equipment on the earth, nice historical past of successful, we’ve acquired a few of the finest gamers on the earth. You’ve acquired every part you may need,” he stated.

On the sport in opposition to Forest, he added: “It will likely be an awesome honour to steer a recreation at Stamford Bridge. It might need a special really feel main the crew.

“Hopefully, we will put in the same degree of efficiency that we did at Wembley. I’m having fun with the problem and strain. We simply must hold successful our video games [to qualify for the Champions League].”

Monday at Stamford Bridge. pic.twitter.com/9Lz1WoP4K9

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) Could 1, 2026

Forest, in the meantime, have moved themselves 5 factors away from the relegation zone after back-to-back wins, together with a thumping 5-0 victory over Sunderland of their final league recreation.

In addition they come into this match on the again of beating Aston Villa 1-0 of their Europa League semi-final first leg, offering one other large confidence enhance.

Nevertheless, Vitor Pereira is shortly placing that victory out of his thoughts, with Forest nonetheless not fairly out of hazard when it comes to the relegation battle.

“I’ll attempt to assume simply in regards to the Chelsea recreation as a result of it’s our Champions League,” Pereira stated.

“It’s essential for us. And we’ll attempt to go there to compete with the gamers. I choose a match participant with out harm issues, than somebody that goes contained in the pitch with issues, as a result of with issues, we can’t give 100%, and on this second, we have to run and struggle.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chelsea – Enzo Fernandez

Enzo Fernandez comes into this recreation contemporary off scoring the winner for Chelsea of their FA Cup semi-final in opposition to Leeds final weekend.

Within the Premier League this season, solely Erling Haaland (27.6) has a better anticipated targets (xG) sequence involvement than Fernandez (24.5), which measures the whole xG worth of distinctive open play shot or objective ending sequences a participant is concerned in.

Nottingham Forest – Morgan Gibbs-White

Morgan Gibbs-White’s 16 Premier League objective involvements are already his finest return in a top-flight marketing campaign (13 targets, three assists), beating his 15 in 2023-24 and 2024-25.

Certainly, 12 of his 16 have are available in 2026, with solely Bruno Fernandes (15) recording extra because the flip of the yr.

MATCH PREDICTION: CHELSEA WIN

Chelsea need to full the Premier League double over Forest for simply the second time, after the 1998-99 marketing campaign.

The Blues have received 1-0 and 3-0 of their final two league video games in opposition to Forest – solely between April and August 1966 have they received three in a row in opposition to the Tough Bushes.

However Forest have misplaced simply two of their eight Premier League away video games in opposition to Chelsea (W2 D4) and are unbeaten in all three visits to Stamford Bridge since their return to the competitors in 2022 (W1 D2).

Chelsea have misplaced – and failed to attain – in every of their final 5 Premier League video games; they haven’t misplaced six in a row since November 1993, whereas they’ve by no means misplaced six in succession with out scoring of their league historical past.

Forest are unbeaten of their final six Premier League video games (W3 D3), with out Brighton (16) amassing extra factors because the begin of March than their 12.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Chelsea – 46.9%

Draw – 26.4%

Nottingham Forest – 26.7%