Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport Chelsea reporter at the City Ground

It's a curious one but midfielder Andrey Santos has started more league games at the City Ground for Chelsea (one) than he did while on loan at Nottingham Forest for six months in 2023 (zero).

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport Chelsea reporter

Much of the focus before kick-off was on Cole Palmer’s six-week injury lay-off, but Moises Caicedo’s absence from the starting line-up could have even greater implications.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has picked a starting line-up without Caicedo for the first time in 46 Premier League matches.

It is the first time Caicedo didn’t start in the Premier League since Christmas Eve 2023, while Chelsea have not won any of their four league games without him since he joined in 2023.

Romeo Lavia and Malo Gusto start in Caicedo’s place, with Andrey Santos filling Palmer’s No 10 role – as Enzo Fernandez is also absent due to a minor injury.

Alan Shearer
Former England striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

Normally as a new manager you are going into a football club because something is wrong, that is quite the opposite [with Postecoglou]. Nuno did a great job there and they had a brilliant season. But Postecoglou's got a very, very different style, which is the surprising thing.

When you've worked for that amount of time and moulded a group of players into your system then you go a little bit left-field in terms of a manager that is very different to that, then what do you expect? It is going to take time, there's no doubt about that.

Image source, Getty Images

Ellen White
Former England striker on Football Focus

It is a strange way to come into a club. Ange has come in and they did alright, he is having to win over the fans and the players. There is a lot happening.

It is going to take time and I am not sure why they didn’t bring him in at the start of the summer.

Chelsea

This is a 46th consecutive Premier League - all under Enzo Maresca - with Chelsea not naming a player aged 30-plus in their starting XI. Only Aston Villa between September 2012 and January 2014 have had a longer run (59 games). Maresca remains the only manager in Premier League history who hasn't used a single player aged 30-plus.

Alan Shearer
Former England striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

I'm not surprised that Postecoglou has made so many changes. He hasn't won in seven games so what is he going to do? Do the same thing? That would be stupidity really. If something's not working you can't keep sticking to it.

Image source, Getty Images

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter at the City Ground

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest's starting XI contains just two of their summer signings - loanees Oleksandr Zinchenko and Douglas Luiz.

Despite spending around £180m in the transfer window before Ange Postecoglou replaced Nuno Espirito Santo, the head coach is reliant on the core of the squad who have be at the club for a number of years.

Five - including striker Igor Jesus - are on the bench but there is no James McAtee, Dilane Bakwa, Arnaud Kalimuendo and Omari Hutchinson, over £100m worth of talent.

So it is the manager still being unable to pick his best team due to injury - Chris Wood suffered a minor knee complaint with New Zealand in the week - or have Forest been unable to progress their squad enough and the focus should be on global sporting director Edu more?

Draxx: If Forest go for Dyche now, who will they be looking at come January to replace him?

Chelsea

With an average age of 23 years and 345 days, Chelsea have named the youngest starting XI in a Premier League game this season.

Tom F: Forest are in a pickle. Stick or twist with neither prospect looking particularly palatable. Nobody has yet pinpointed why relations between Marinakis and Nuno broke down and until a new manager understands what could go wrong again with Edu the middle man, he'd a fool to risk another short tenure.

Nottingham Forest

Image source, Getty Images

If Evangelos Marinakis did decide to pull the trigger Forest fans, would you be happy with Sean Dyche?

Sami Mokbel
BBC Sport Senior football correspondent

It is understood the process of identifying replacements in the event of Ange Postecoglou's sacking are under way, and developed during the international break.

On Forest's radar is Fulham head coach Marco Silva, with sources indicating that the Portuguese is the preferred option of a number of internal figures at the City Ground.

Sources have told BBC Sport that the prospect of re-appointing Steve Cooper, who led Forest back to the top flight in 2022 before being sacked and replaced by Nuno in December 2023, has been considered.

Another option explored, as reported by BBC Sport last week, is the appointment of Sean Dyche. Dyche lives close to Nottingham and is available for nothing, having left Everton earlier this year.

Magpie87: Ange Postecoglou was on a hiding to nothing from day one. The previous manager was very popular, the team had been on decline for about six months, but this had been hidden by their form in the first half of last season, and a lot of the media already disliked him.

Chelsea

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, speaking to TNT Sports on momentum after beating Liverpool: "For sure. It is one more game that is always difficult, but we prepare the game trying to win."

On Enzo Fernandez's absence: "It is not a big concern. He is out for an injury but hopefully can be back very soon."

On playing without Fernandez, and Moises Caideco dropping to the bench: "It's not just about them. We need to try and find a different solution. We are going to try to find a solution."

On if he has the squad depth to cope with Cole Palmer absence and other injuries: "Absolutely, yes."

On if Estevao Willian is close to starting: "He has already started games for us. He came back from a long trip from Brazil so we need to manage it. We have six or seven games until the next break. For sure he is going to play but he already showed he can play from the start."

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter at the City Ground

Image source, Getty Images

Ange Postecoglou's last game at the City Ground ended with Nottingham Forest fans chanting "you're getting sacked in the morning."

Supporters snapped after Midtjylland went 3-1 up, ultimately winning 3-2, in the Europa League last month.

The sack has not happened but the under-fire Postecoglou is still looking for his first win after seven games in charge.

A five minute and five seconds speech defending his legacy and ability to a question about whether this was any other game during his pre-match press conference on Friday saw him come out fighting.

Yet words will not appease those fans who are calling for his departure, even a victory is unlikely to convince the doubters but it would at least get the manager off the mark.

Nottingham Forest

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest's England midfielder Elliot Anderson, speaking to TNT Sports: "I've really enjoyed my time with England and we're creating a really good bond. Luckily I've played the last four games and I feel at home. Hopefully I will be there [at the World Cup]."

On Forest's form: "Things haven't quite clicked yet. We want to come out on the front foot today. The lads have had a good week training and hopefully today we can get our first win. We are a lot more possession based now and last season we were a lot more attacking. We just need to hit the back of the net."