Nottingham Forest defeated Chelsea 3-1 this Monday afternoon. The game took place on Stamford Bridge for the 35th round of Premier League. Taiwo Awoniyi opened the scoring after two minutes and expanded in the second half. Igor Jesus converted a penalty at 15. João Pedro scored in stoppage time.
The visiting team dominated the first moments. Chelsea pressed hard after the break, but stopped due to Matz Sels’s defenses and VAR decisions. The result leaves Chelsea with 48 points. Nottingham Forest reaches 42.
Fast Gols gives Forest an advantage in the first half
Nottingham Forest opened the scoring with less than two minutes. Taiwo Awoniyi headed into the top left corner from Dilane Bakwa’s cross. Chelsea tried to react with submissions from Enzo Fernández and Cole Palmer.
Aos 12 minutes, the referee awarded a penalty to Forest after a VAR review. Malo Gusto was punished for fouling Taiwo Awoniyi. Igor Jesus took the ball into the center of the goal and made it 2-0. Chelsea had a penalty in the 45th minute, but Cole Palmer saw the shot saved by Matz Sels.
- Taiwo Awoniyi scored the first goal in the 2nd minute
- Igor Jesus converted the penalty in the 15th minute
- Cole Palmer missed a penalty in the 55th minute of the first half
- Várias injury interruptions marked the first half
Halftime arrived with 0-2 on the scoreboard. Chelsea switched Tosin Adarabioyo, Roméo Lavia, Jesse Derry and Robert Sánchez during the match. Forest also made adjustments with Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood.
Pressão of Chelsea in the second half does not avoid defeat
Chelsea returned from the break with Levi Colwill. The team created chances with Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernández. Nottingham Forest responded with counterattacks. Taiwo Awoniyi doubled in the 52nd minute after an assist from Morgan Gibbs-White.
VAR disallowed a goal by João Pedro in the 73rd minute for offside. Chelsea continued attacking with corners and shots from Cole Palmer, Liam Delap and Andrey Santos. Aos 78 minutes, Liam Delap and Moisés Caicedo received yellow cards.
The pace dropped in the final minutes. The fourth referee indicated nine minutes of added time. João Pedro scored in the 93rd minute with a header from Marc Cucurella. The goal came from close range after constant pressure from the home team.
Substituições and cards influence the pace of the match
Chelsea made five substitutions. Forest also used pieces from the bench to hold the result. Lesões of Jesse Derry, Zach Abbott, Morgan Gibbs-White, Matz Sels and James McAtee interrupted the game several times.
Malo Gusto, Morato, Liam Delap and Moisés Caicedo were cautioned with a yellow card. Referee Anthony Taylor had trouble with fouls in midfield. Chelsea dominated possession for most of the second half.
Posição on the table and upcoming challenges
The result keeps Chelsea in the middle part of the table. Nottingham Forest moves slightly away from the relegation zone. Ambas teams still have important commitments ahead of them in the final stretch of the season.
Chelsea returns to the field against another opponent at home. Forest plays away from home following Premier League. The away victory represents a good result for the Nottingham team in this round.