Chris Kavanagh will referee Saturday’s early Premier League kick-off as Nottingham Forest host Chelsea at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest are desperate for a moment of inspiration, having gone nine games without a win in all competitions. Seven of those winless matches have come under Ange Postecoglou, who is already fighting for his future at the club.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have had an up-and-down campaign so far, but they’ll be buoyed by their 2-1 victory over Liverpool before the international break.
Between them, Chelsea (15) and Nottingham Forest (14) have picked up 29 Premier League yellow cards this season, while the Blues lead the way in the league with two reds. Furthermore, their boss Enzo Maresca will be banned from the touchline on Saturday after he was sent off against Liverpool.
Kavanagh’s appointment is an interesting one, given that he was the man in the middle for last season’s meeting at Stamford Bridge; a fiery clash that saw nine players booked and a red card for Forest’s James Ward-Prowse.
Kavanagh has shown 20 yellow cards and awarded two penalties across six Premier League matches this season. Across all competitions in 2025–26 (11 games), those numbers rise to 39 yellow cards and four penalties, including a spot-kick in Fulham’s draw with Manchester United that Bruno Fernandes later blamed Kavanagh for his miss.
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Chris Kavanagh’s Nottingham Forest Record
| Category | Total |
|---|---|
| Matches | 18 |
| Wins | 4 |
| Draws | 7 |
| Defeats | 7 |
| League Points | 19 |
| Penalties Per Game | 0 |
| Yellow Cards Per Game | 2.22 |
| Reds Per Game | 0.09 |
Chris Kavanagh has officiated 18 Nottingham Forest matches, with the club managing just four wins in that time. They’ve lost seven and drawn the other seven, meaning they’ve failed to win in 78% of those fixtures.
That said, recent form under Kavanagh’s watch has been much more encouraging with Forest unbeaten in their last six Premier League games he’s officiated. That run includes notable victories over Manchester City and Newcastle, as well as hard-earned draws against Liverpool and Chelsea. Forest did, however, have two penalties awarded against them during those six games.
Kavanagh has refereed two meetings between Forest and Chelsea. Most recently, he oversaw last season’s heated 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, which saw James Ward-Prowse sent off, two other Forest players booked, and the club fined £125,000 for failing to control their players.
The other match came back in the 2017-18 Carabao Cup, when Chelsea cruised to a 5-1 win over a then-Championship Forest side in the third round.
Chris Kavanagh’s Chelsea Record
| Category | Total |
|---|---|
| Matches | 22 |
| Wins | 13 |
| Draws | 3 |
| Defeats | 6 |
| League Points | 36 |
| Penalties Per Game | 0.23 |
| Yellow Cards Per Game | 1.72 |
| Reds Per Game | 0 |
Chris Kavanagh has taken charge of 22 Chelsea matches, with the Blues winning 13, drawing three, and losing six.
The Blues average 1.72 yellow cards per game with Kavanagh in the middle, including six bookings in last season’s fiery 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest, in a game that also saw the club fined £40,000 for their involvement in a mass confrontation.
Kavanagh officiated seven Chelsea games last season, from which they managed just two wins, alongside three losses and two draws. Their form under Kavanagh hasn’t been great with just two wins from their last 10 games with him in charge, a run that includes the 2023-24 Carabao Cup final defeat to Liverpool.
Chelsea have received two red cards this season but have never had a player sent off by Kavanagh. However, Chelsea have failed to win any of their last five Kavanagh-officiated matches away from Stamford Bridge.
What can we expect on Saturday lunchtime?
If last season’s meeting is any indication, Saturday’s clash could be another fiery affair with Kavanagh as ref. In that 1-1 draw, he handed out a red card and booked eight other players, with both clubs later hit with significant fines by the Premier League for failing to control their players.
Keep a close eye on incidents inside the penalty area. Kavanagh has already awarded four penalties in 11 matches this season, and in his last six Forest games, he’s pointed to the spot twice – both times in favour of the opposition.
All signs point to a busy and potentially heated afternoon for the man in the middle.