Chelsea take on Nottingham Forest in an unusually early Premier League kickoff on Monday.
It is a public holiday in the U.K. so most fans traveling to Stamford Bridge will have the day off from work and school to attend the afternoon fixture. While this is an option on the first Monday of every May, the Premier League have only taken advantage of the calendar on eight previous occasions. Neither Chelsea nor Nottingham Forest can afford to be caught off guard by this irregular scheduling.
There is an unusual tinge to an intriguing between two sides with multiple targets for the end of the season.
It is a public holiday in the U.K. so most fans traveling to Stamford Bridge will have the day off from work and school to attend the afternoon fixture. While this is an option on the first Monday of every May, the Premier League have only taken advantage of the calendar on eight previous occasions. Neither Chelsea nor Nottingham Forest can afford to be caught off guard by this irregular scheduling.
The Blues still have faint ambitions of Champions League qualification to maintain. While that may no longer take the form of a top-five finish, Europe’s premier club competition could still be on the table if Aston Villa finish fifth (where they currently lie) and win the Europa League.
Nottingham Forest may have something to say about the latter of those objections. The Tricky Trees won the first leg of their Europa League semifinal against Villa at the City Ground last Thursday. While one eye will undoubtedly be turned towards the return fixture in Birmingham this Thursday, Forest haven’t yet entirely banished fears of Premier League relegation.
By the end of Liam Rosenior’s doomed reign at Stamford Bridge, everything looked bleak. Chelsea were enduring their worst run of league form in 114 years. Goals appeared impossible to come by, let alone as many as three points.
Sometimes it just takes a change of voice.
Calum McFarlane saw Chelsea through to the FA Cup final against Leeds United in the first game of his second interim stint, but it was far from a faultless display. The west London outfit had to weather a second-half storm from their frustrated foes and were indebted to an excellent performance from goalkeeper Robert Sánchez—which is not something that can be relied upon.
The early helping of top-flight action on Monday threatens to be a rare treat.
