In football, the old saying goes: never change a winning lineup. After Chelsea’s crucial FA Cup semifinal victory over Leeds United, that philosophy is front and center as the Blues prepare for a bank holiday Premier League showdown against Nottingham Forest.
For the WAGNH Community, the winning formula from that match is largely worth sticking with—though there are one or two tweaks on the table.
The most obvious change is the return of Cole Palmer, who started on the bench against Leeds due to injury but came on as a second-half substitute. With Palmer now fit to start, he’s the clear fan favorite (93%) to replace Alejandro Garnacho (17%), who once again failed to make a strong impression.
The other point of debate is at center back, where a four-man race is heating up for the spot alongside Trevoh Chalobah. Tosin Adarabioyo (32%) got the nod against Leeds, but the fans are leaning toward a different option this time. Jorrel Hato (34%) edges out Wesley Fofana (29%) and Josh Acheampong (24%)—and interestingly, Hato isn’t even a natural center back.
As for the rest of the preferred XI, it’s a familiar 4-2-3-1 formation (75%): Sánchez (97%) in goal; a back four of Cucurella (93%), Hato, Chalobah (91%), and Gusto (81%); a midfield pivot of Lavia (48%) and Caicedo (96%); and an attacking line of Neto (86%), Enzo (94%), and Palmer (93%) supporting João Pedro (96%) up top.
Andrey Santos (35%) also garnered some support, but no other player managed to break into double-digit percentages aside from Mamadou Sarr (12%).
With Nottingham Forest visiting, Chelsea fans are hoping this lineup—with a couple of key adjustments—can keep the momentum rolling.
