September 02, (THEWILL) – Chelsea were left frustrated and defeated at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, as they fell to a shock 1-0 loss against Nottingham Forest.
The Blues dominated possession, but could not break down a stubborn Forest defence, and were hit with a sucker punch early in the second half. The defeat ends Chelsea’s unbeaten start to the season and hands Forest their first away victory of the campaign. Steve Cooper’s side showed resilience and organisation to keep the Blues at bay, and capitalised on a counter attack to grab the winner through substitute Anthony Elanga.
Chelsea had several chances to take the lead in the first half, with Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell going close. But they were wasteful in front of goal, and were made to pay when Elanga finished off a breakaway move in the 48th minute.
The hosts thought they had a penalty when Nicolas Jackson was bundled over by Matt Turner, but the striker had strayed offside in the build-up. Their misery was compounded late on when Jackson missed an open goal from yards out.
The result leaves Chelsea manager, Mauricio Pochettino, with plenty to ponder during the international break. His expensively assembled squad once again failed to click, while questions will be asked of his side’s lack of cutting edge against stubborn opposition.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
