The Blues staged an impressive fightback, with two of their substitutes making significant contributions late on in the 3-2 win.
Chelsea always seem to do things the hard way. It took them until the final 10 minutes of the game to finally start playing against Nottingham Forest, ultimately showing impressive character to turn what looked as if it was going to be a defeat into all three points.
It was the Blues who started on the front foot – Mykhailo Mudryk giving the visitors the lead after eight minutes, darting inside Willy Boly in the box before sliding the ball past Matz Sels. It didn’t last long, though, with Boly heading home via a deflection off Conor Gallagher to level things up.
35 – Since Boxing Day 2023, only three teams have picked up more points than Chelsea (35) in the Premier League (Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool). Developing. pic.twitter.com/0KGiGdWurn
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 11, 2024
The hosts, needing a point to secure their Premier League survival, went ahead after 74 minutes as Callum Hudson-Odoi tormented his former club by cutting inside and bending an effort past Djordje Petrovic in the Chelsea goal.
The game then went a bit bonkers, with the Blues scoring twice in quick succession, through substitute Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson – who had had a nightmare 81 minutes until his goal, put on a plate for him by the returning Reece James – to stage an impressive late comeback and keep their European qualification hopes very much alive.
Since Boxing Day 2023, only three teams have picked up more points than Chelsea (35) in the Premier League (Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool). They’ve lost just three of their 18 games in this period, with only Man City (0) suffering fewer defeats.
Nottingham Forest suffered their ninth home defeat of the Premier League season, their joint-most in a 20-team campaign in the competition (also nine in 1998-99).
MASSIVE WIN!! ✊#CFC | #NfoChe pic.twitter.com/HTLYxApExD
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 11, 2024
Chelsea have conceded in each of their last 15 away games in the Premier League, their longest ever run within a single season in the competition. Their last clean sheet on the road in the league was at Fulham back in October (a 2-0 win), while they’ve shipped 33 goals in their 15 away trips since then.
