Taiwo Awoniyi eyes victory against Chelsea

Taiwo Awoniyi of Nottingham Forest in action during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Chelsea at the City Ground, Nottingham on Sunday 1st January 2023. (Photo: AFP)

Chelsea will host Nottingham Forest today in the English Premier League, with red-hot Taiwo Awoniyi aiming to become the first player to score in eight successive Premier League games since Jamie Vardy between October and December 2019.

Awoniyi has netted nine of Forest’s last 13 Premier League goals, including a double at Stamford Bridge in May. Chelsea forward, Mykhailo Mudryk, has recovered from the minor injury that caused him to miss the win over Luton, but Trevoh Chalobah, Carney Chukwuemeka, Wesley Fofana, Reece James and Christopher Nkunku are all still out.

Nottingham Forest will be without Orel Mangala and Scott McKenna, while Andrey Santos is ineligible to face his parent club.Joe Worrall is available again after suspension, but has suffered a bereavement this week. Danilo is a doubt with an unspecified injury.

On head-to-head, Chelsea are unbeaten in their last nine meetings with Nottingham Forest in all competitions since a 2-0 loss in January 1997. Forest’s only win in their last 14 away games against Chelsea was a 2-0 victory in January 1995.

However, following a run of seven straight victories against Forest in all competitions, the Blues drew both Premier League meetings last season.

Chelsea’s win over Luton ended a run of eight Premier League games without a home victory and it was only their second win in their last 15 top-flight matches.

It was also their first clean sheet in 12 league games. A Chelsea player has scored their first Premier League goal in all three of their matches this season: Axel Disasi versus Liverpool,