The final whistle was greeted with a huge cheer around an impassioned City Ground as Serge Aurier’s equaliser enabled Nottingham Forest to climb level with 17th place but Chelsea’s status under Graham Potter remains a matter for debate after they let slip a lead established by Raheem Sterling’s opener.
Chelsea have won only once, against Bournemouth on Tuesday, in seven league games as they enter a critical week in which they play Manchester City twice. Edging above Brighton to level on points with seventh-placed Fulham was, presumably, not what Todd Boehly, the Chelsea co-owner, had in mind when he hired Potter from the former to replace Thomas Tuchel as head coach in September. Perhaps next Sunday’s visit to the Etihad in the third round of the FA Cup represents a better route to success this season than Thursday’s Premier League home game against the champions.
That Chelsea managed one effort at goal – off target – in the second half is a damning indictment on an attacking array of talent against a Forest team who deserved their point for sheer stubborn bloody-mindedness as much as anything. If Morgan Gibbs-White’s second-half shot against the crossbar had bounced down over the line, Steve Cooper’s team would arguably have deserved victory as they extended their unbeaten home run to six matches.
Potter admitted: “Our performance level wasn’t good enough to take the three points. We didn’t move the ball fast enough, [there was] not enough movement.”
Tottenham’s home defeat by Aston Villa had offered Chelsea a spur before kick-off, even if the top four remains seven points distant. With Benoît Badiashile, the France defender, awaiting a medical before confirming his £32.7m transfer from Monaco, no one could accuse Chelsea of resting on their laurels and after just a quarter of an hour they were ahead and seemingly in control.
Christian Pulisic played a neat one-two with Mason Mount down the left flank before cutting back on to his right foot. He fired in a devilish centre towards Kai Havertz at the near post where Willy Boly inadvertently backheeled the ball against the far end of the crossbar.
Nottingham Forest are investigating reports of homophobic chanting by some of their fans during Sunday’s Premier League game against Chelsea.
Chelsea’s official LGBTQ+ supporters group tweeted towards the end of the first half to “totally condemn” the chant it said could be heard at the City Ground, during a match shown live on Sky Sports.
Forest said in a statement shortly after full time: “The club are aware of reports concerning chants aimed at Chelsea supporters from a minority of fans this evening and do not condone any type of discriminatory or offensive behaviour. The matter will be investigated.”
Chelsea Pride earlier tweet read: “We totally condemn the Chelsea Rent Boy chant that can be heard at the City Ground. Time to call this out the game is live on @SkySportsPL This is now classed as a hate crime.”
Forest’s LGBTQ+ group said it was embarrassed and ashamed by the abuse and apologised on behalf of those responsible. A tweet from LGBTQ+ Trickies read: “From all genuine #NFFC fans, please accept our apologies, not only do we hope @NottPolFootball will do their best to take action, we would hope @NFFC release a statement condoning [sic] this and take necessary action. We are embarrassed and ashamed." PA Media
With Dean Henderson scrambling to make up ground, Sterling had the easiest invitation to lean back and half-volley the ball into the net. It was his ninth goal in 12 away games against promoted sides and, more pertinently, his first for Potter in the Premier League.
Forest, poor in their 3-0 defeat at Manchester United on Tuesday, had only 20% of first-half possession but plenty of passion as they sought a way back into the game. Even before conceding, Gibbs-White, back from a calf injury, had played Brennan Johnson in through the middle and Kepa Arrizabalaga was relieved to save his left-foot shot as well as the rebound.
Chelsea had responded to Reece James’s injury setback by recalling César Azpilicueta at right-back, and Denis Zakaria retained his place in the centre of midfield after his Premier League debut against Bournemouth. With Chelsea trying to sign the World Cup winner Enzo Fernández from Benfica, this was an opportunity for the Switzerland midfielder to make his mark.
He nearly did, on Ryan Yates’s forehead, as the pair grizzled and jibed at each other throughout the first half. The Forest vice-captain was booked for hauling his man to the ground but Zakaria was fortunate to escape sanction as he clenched his fist at Yates and nuzzled heads.
The City Ground became even more of a bear pit in the second half as Forest found their straps. Gibbs-White showed his poise and vision as he broke out on to Orel Mangala’s short pass and played the perfect channel ball in behind Azpilicueta for Johnson to run on to and drive goalwards, Arrizabalaga saving well.
When Yates pulled a ball back for Gibbs-White to crash a shot from the edge of the penalty area against the underside of the bar, the decibel levels went up to 11. Sure enough, the equaliser followed, shortly after Potter replaced Zakaria with Mateo Kovacic, sensing the game’s momentum was going away from him.
From Gibbs-White’s corner to the near post, Havertz’s weak header was nodded down by Boly for Aurier to chest down, swivel and volley in his first goal for Forest. If this was a goal conceived in the Ivory Coast, it was forged in the furnace of Forest’s fire.
Cooper acknowledged the importance of the home crowd for Forest. “They’re brilliant,” he said. “We feel it every week. We won’t take it for granted. We’ve got to keep earning that support.”
Potter acted to stem the flood with a triple change, introducing Conor Gallagher, Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and sure enough such fresh legs slowed Forest. There was a sense this was a good point gained for Cooper’s team.
Nine minutes from time, Aubameyang should have done better than dive – perhaps fall would be a better word – to nod wide an inswinging centre from Ziyech from inside the six-yard box. For Chelsea, this felt more like two points lost.
