After reaching the FA Cup Final last weekend, can Chelsea pick up three points at home? In the Premier League, the Blues have lost five successive matches, all without scoring, doing so for the first time since 1912. Thus, unsurprisingly, Liam Rosenior was sacked as a result, meaning Calum McFarlane will be in interim charge for the remainder of the campaign.
McFarlane's first-ever match in charge at Stamford Bridge will be against Nottingham Forest, albeit with a rather unusual kick off time. It is a Bank Holiday in the UK, so the clash will take place with a 3 o'clock kick off, which overseas fans will be confused about. So, how rare a kick off time is this?
Premier League May bank holiday afternoon fixtures
- Monday 4 May 2026: Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest - Kick off 3pm.
- Monday 8 May 2023: Fulham 5-3 Leicester City - Kick off 3pm.
- Monday 8 May 2023: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-5 Everton - Kick off 5:30pm
- Monday 3 May 2010: Wigan Athletic 2-2 Hull City - Kick off 1:30pm.
- Monday 3 May 2010: Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Arsenal - Kick off 5pm.
- Monday 5 May 2008: Newcastle United 0-2 Chelsea - Kick off 4pm.
- Monday 1 May 2006: Sunderland 0-3 Arsenal - Kick off 5:15pm.
- Monday 4 May 1998: Manchester United 3-0 Leeds United - Kick off 5pm.
- Monday 5 May 1997: Manchester United 3-3 Middlesbrough - Kick off noon.
Note: Does not include any 8pm kick offs.
This Monday is only the seventh time in Premier League history that any afternoon fixtures will take place on the early-May Bank Holiday. Well, when Nottingham Forest visit Stamford Bridge on Monday afternoon, the Chelsea supporters in attendance will be hoping to see some trends continue.
First, the Blues' sole previous Bank Holiday Monday afternoon fixture came back on 2008, beating Newcastle 2-0; Michael Ballack and then Florent Malouda the scorers at St James' Park. Meantime, across the eight previous bank holiday games, these have produced a whopping 35 goals, meaning one is scored every 20 and a half minutes on average.
The last time we had Premier League matches played on this Bank Holiday was three years ago. That day, Fulham beat Leicester 5-3, Everton claimed a vital victory in their battle against the drop, demolishing Brighton 5-1, before Nottingham Forest beat Southampton 4-3 in an absolute thriller in the night game. That works out at 21 goals, with one scored every 13 minutes on average; more of the same please.
Well, considering Chelsea have scored nil in each of their last five Premier League matches, their supporters will be hoping to have something to cheer this time. Visitors Nottingham Forest are only five points above the relegation zone, but may be distracted.
That's because, this fixtures comes in the middle of the two legs of their Europa League semi-final. VÃtor Pereira's team beat Aston Villa 1-0 at the City Ground on Thursday, Chris Wood emphatically converting a spot-kick, with supporters now dreaming of getting to Ä°stanbul, ahead of this Thursday's return leg at Villa Park. Thus, Chelsea will fancy their chances of being too strong for Forest but, if there's one precedent to take from previous Bank Holiday fixtures, there will be goals galore.
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