An away end which had sung itself hoarse all afternoon serenaded the Nottingham Forest players long after the final whistle had blown.
Some of those wearing the Garibaldi seemed to stop for a moment to soak it in as they stood and applauded. Taiwo Awoniyi signalled his appreciation as the fans chanted his name, bowing towards them and making a heart sign. Steve Cooper tapped his heart and gave a thumbs up when the affection was directed his way.
Just as there had been on the pitch, there was a show of collective unity which could yet make the difference in the Reds’ survival fight. A bit of the City Ground had been transported to the capital.
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The togetherness has always been there, but there is now a steeliness and a greater confidence about the players to match. Given their record on the road, being left disappointed at claiming a draw against Chelsea says a lot about the recent improvement in performances.
As it is, that point could be crucial. It is certainly valuable. And the Reds are at the very least giving themselves a fighting chance of getting over the line.
Double double
How much Forest missed Awoniyi while he was sidelined has only been emphasised by his form in the last two matches. It took him a while to rediscover his sharpness after so long out injured, but he has got it back at just the right time.
Goals are a precious commodity at any time of the season, but no more so than when there is so much riding on games. The Reds haven't always found it easy to hit the back of the net, so to bag 12 in five fixtures is a much-needed forward step - particularly on the road, where, up until the game at Liverpool they had scored just five times.
That increased threat isn't down to Awoniyi alone, others are chipping in and Moussa Niakhate’s long throws are certainly making a difference. As a team, Forest are also attacking with greater conviction and belief than was the case not so long ago; there is more purpose to their play.
Renan Lodi and Orel Mangala both put in delicious balls for Awoniyi to finish off. And finish them off, he did. The first, in particular, was an excellent header. If he can keep that streak going for just a little bit longer...
Leading by example
Joe Worrall has had his critics this term. He'd no doubt be the first to admit he's made some mistakes - who hasn't among the squad? But he was excellent at Stamford Bridge and got a deserved rendition of “he’s one of our own”.
It was a big call by Cooper to leave out Brennan Johnson given the way he played in Monday night's win over Southampton. The Wales international was sacrificed to enable the visitors to revert to five at the back while also not being left overrun in midfield.
The plan worked. The Reds were well in control in the first half, with skipper Worrall key to that. A vital last-ditch tackle to thwart Raheem Sterling set the tone.
Forest will look back at the goals they conceded after the break and know they should have done better. Lapses in concentration were punished.
Equally, they were required to dig deep in the final minutes as the hosts sought a winner. The likelihood is Cooper switches to a four-man defence against Arsenal next weekend, allowing Johnson to come back into the fold. With his cameo at right-back/right wing-back against Southampton and the way he played in the capital, though, Worrall is providing tough competition for Felipe and Niakhate as the first-choice centre-back pairing.
Character on show
Achieving survival requires a blend of all kinds of qualities, not least grit and guts when the pressure is on. The Reds had both in spades at Stamford Bridge.
After coming through that dismal winless run, a corner seems to have been turned with their mentality. Forest are fighting, and fighting hard.
That's not to suggest there has ever been a downing of tools. Far from it. But the squad seems to have found fresh reserves of resilience in the past few weeks. It was evident at Anfield and against Southampton on Monday night, and they needed it again on Saturday.
A couple of months ago, there's every chance the Reds would have crumbled when Chelsea took the lead. They are a different opponent now.
“To have the game going as we planned, then to go 2-1 down and maybe be thinking 'here we go again', for the guys to recover as they did, we should be satisfied with that,” Cooper said. “But we also need to have the mentality of how we improve.”
Relegation battle
Cheers and then groans could be heard from the away end in the build-up to kick-off. Reds fans were clearly watching the draw between Leeds United and Newcastle United in the day’s early fixture.
Forest know they cannot rely on anyone else. They really needed to respond, and they did. Their fate remains in their own hands.
There will be a couple more nervy days, with Everton and Leicester City still to play. It is still nail-bitingly tight in the scrap for survival.
Having put themselves in such a good position, the Reds really need to build on it. Trying to predict how many points will be needed is impossible, but the current tally of 34 seems unlikely to be enough.
As they approach their final two fixtures, there is plenty for Forest to be positive about. But all that matters is getting the job done.
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