Taiwo Awoniyi's headed double gave Nottingham Forest’s survival hopes a boost.
But despite the point they picked up here at Stamford Bridge, Steve Cooper and his men will have headed home up the M1 with a nagging feeling that they could have been doing so with so much more. They were in control of this game throughout the first half, and had Moussa Niakhate been able to add to Awoniyi’s early goal when a good chance presented itself straight after half-time, it would have been hard to see Chelsea coming back.
But, agonisingly for Forest and their travelling supporters, he couldn’t quite get enough on the ball to divert Felipe’s header into the Chelsea net. And Chelsea took full advantage, taking the lead themselves from a quick-fire double from Raheem Sterling, including one delicious strike, before Awoniyi levelled matters again to earn a draw.
The fans who’d made the trip down from the East Midlands celebrated referee Paul Tierney’s final whistle almost as vehemently as they would have done a win. But Chelsea are there for the taking at the moment and deep down they will known how precious a win could have been after Leeds’s draw with Newcastle in the early kick-off.
This result means there’s still work to be done for Cooper and Co, and with Arsenal up next at home and Crystal Palace away it could yet be squeaky bum time in the last game of the season. But if they do stay up, and they do have a decent chance, then what an achievement it will be for Cooper, who had 30 new signings thrust upon him in the last two transfer windows but has somehow got enough cohesion within the group to pick up what could well be enough points.
As for Chelsea, well, they were hapless, hopeless and helpless in that first period, and looked like a team for whom the end of the season can’t come soon enough. A lot of them looked like they were just going through the motions, and one or two didn’t even put in that much effort.
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But ultimately a decent enough spell early in the second half was enough for Sterling to score two goals, and when the second went in it even prompted some gallows humour among the home crowd with pockets of them chanting, ‘We are staying up’.
Forest took the lead early when Awoniyi rose well between Benoit Badiashile and Thiago Silva, and before the flailing Edouard Mendy could arrive, to turn home Renan Lodi’s deep cross from the left. This was Mendy’s first game since Senegal’s defeat by England at the World Cup.
Sterling had Chelsea’s one good opening in the first half but the fact he had to delay pulling the trigger as the ball bounced slowly gave Joe Worrall just enough time to get back goal side of him and produce a fantastic block.
But he was more clinical after the break when he fired home from Trevoh Chalobah’s pull back with his low strike hitting Ryan Yates and deflecting in. Finally, a moment to put a little spark into the home side and soon after Joao Felix’s dipping shot brushed the top of Navas’s net on its way over.
For the first time in the game, Forest looked cold and when Serge Aurier tried to win a ball in midfield with his head rather than a foot, he presented another opening to Chelsea.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek pounced on the loose ball and fed Sterling, who checked back on to his right foot to take Felipe out of the game and the wrapped his right boot around a very tidy finish. The home crowd were elated but, this being Chelsea this season, that feeling didn’t last long as Forest this time drew level.
Orel Mangala slung a ball back into the box with his left boot and there was Awoniyi to head home to the delight of his team-mates and their fans.
