McFarlane sounds warning over Chelsea’s next league tie as club eyes EPL turnaround
Chelsea interim boss Stuart McFarlane has sounded wary over the threat posed by their Monday, May 4, 2026, Premier League opponents, Nottingham Forest.
The relegation-threatened club travels to London for Monday’s game, sitting 16th in the Premier League. The tie comes as the club runs high on a form of having avoided defeat in their last six top-flight matches, in addition to establishing a 1-0 first-leg lead over Aston Villa in the Europa League semi-final tie.
Chelsea’s dismal run
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On their part, the Blues snapped a disappointing run of results with the win over Leeds United to book a place in the FA Cup final, which will see us take on Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday, May 16, 2026.
Vitor Perreira’s team is next on Chelsea’s radar as the EPL nears its final round of fixtures.
“I watched them last night, and I’ve watched many of their games,” said McFarlane. “They’re a really, really good side in really good form, and they have several top-quality players, some real threats that we have to be aware of.”
“It is another massive game, another big challenge, as every game in the Premier League is. But we will be ready and prepared for the game,” he told the club’s portal.
Chelsea will be eyeing their first win since early March, after a run of defeats and draws saw them drop to eighth in the table. The gaffer has maintained the dream for Europe to remain within their hands.
“Yet we head into this weekend’s fixtures just two points off sixth and still in the hunt to claim a European place next season. We just have to win our games and not worry about anything else,” McFarlane asserted.
“If we make sure our performance levels are right, the results will come. So we have to focus only on ourselves and then the next game, the next day, and the next training session.
Must-win games
His remarks come after he described the remaining round of fixtures as must-win as the London club seeks to salvage what has been an underwhelming campaign in the league.
Speaking on Sunday, April 26, 2026, following the victory in the FA Cup semi-final over Leeds United, he challenged the players to build on the result and ushers a new fighting spirit within them.
“It’s unfortunately not worked out like that this year, but we want to win every single game from now to the end of the season, as you do in any season. But it’s not extra motivation. We want to do it for ourselves; we want to do it for the fans and the club, everyone.”
