Nicolas Jackson misses sitter as Anthony Elanga stuns Chelsea to give Nottingham Forest a vital three points at Stamford Bridge.
Anthony Elanga, who joined the East Midlands outfit in a £15million deal from Manchester United, broke the deadlock just three minutes into the start of the second half.
Taiwo Awoniyi played Elanga through on goal, with a shot going past keeper Robert Sanchez in the Chelsea net, before Jackson had a huge chance to level right towards the end only his effort from close-range to somehow go flying over when he should really have scored.
A HUGE miss from Nicolas Jackson! 😳 pic.twitter.com/dsdFnnUYaX
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) September 2, 2023
Player ratings
Chelsea: Sanchez (6), Disasi (6), Silva (6), Colwill (6), Gusto (6), Gallagher (7), Caicedo (6), Chilwell (6), Sterling (6), Fernandez (6), Jackson (6).
Subs: Palmer (6), Madueke (6), Mudryk (6), Maatsen (6).
Nottingham Forest: Turner (7), Boly (8), Worrall (7), McKenna (7), Aurier (6), Mangala (6), Danilo (6), Aina (6), Yates (7), Gibbs-White (6), Awoniyi (7).
Subs: Elanga (8), Wood (6), Montiel (6), Tavares (6), Kouyate (6).
Player of the match: Anthony Elanga.
Nottingham Forest goalscorer Anthony Elanga: “It’s really big. I feel like the last three games we have been close to winning. We worked hard and defended well. When we won it back, I was quick enough. The manager has congratulated us and told us we deserved to win.
“I want to score goals and as soon as I saw Taiwo [Awoniyi] pass the ball I just wanted to attack the space. I know where the goal is so it was about keeping my composure and hitting it low and quick.
“I need to play to build my confidence. I didn’t get to do that much at United but now that I am here I feel like I have the confidence of the manager and now hopefully these opportunities will turn into starts and more goals and assists.
“We can really build on this and keep pushing.”
Steve Cooper said: “We should pay special tribute to Joe Worrall.
“He’s just had an ovation from the supporters, and in the dressing room.
“He’s suffered a tragic bereavement, someone he was really close to, and he’s still put us first when he didn’t have to. What a performance.”
“It’s a huge result,” added Cooper, as per Nottingham Post. “After staying in the league last season, I spoke openly about it giving us an opportunity to grow every part of the club. From my point of view that is the level of the team, the strength in depth of the squad and how we play.
“Results like this really help that momentum and that process. We’ve really got to hone in on that now and use it to our advantage.
“Great credit to the players for sticking to the plan. We knew it was going to be the type of game it was. You don’t come here and plan to dominate possession and create chance after chance. But you do come here knowing if you do certain things well, you can create chances and you can keep a clean-sheet.
“On the back of what happened last week at United – when we all saw how we were treated there (in two controversial refereeing decisions) – and doing some decent things in the Arsenal game, for the guys to continue to believe in what it takes to win a game like this, they deserve a lot of credit.
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino said via talkSPORT: “Very disappointed, but it wasn’t a bad performance. We weren’t clinical in both boxes.
“We made a few mistakes. For the goal, we were punished, then we created many chances and dominated the game.
“But when you don’t score, it’s difficult to win games.”
“We missed the chance of the first half, with T (Awoniyi) off the set-piece. He’s the guy we probably wanted it to fall to!
“We knew we were going to be a threat there and on dangerous fast attacks as well. If you look at how tactically well we were set up when we won the ball, and then to put that technical and athletic ability together to create and score the goal – with T’s assist and Anthony’s brilliant finish – is something we talked about how we could hurt Chelsea. After that, it was just about keeping a clean-sheet.
“We got the long-overdue away result, which the players deserve and the supporters definitely deserve. The fans have made noise like that when things have gone the opposite way in games. I’m just so pleased that, going into the international break, they can get back on the motorway and have something to shout about, because they deserve it.”
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino refused to be too critical of his players despite losing the Premier League fixture.
He said: “It’s a matter of time.
“Players have arrived and we need time to work with each other, so we need to keep believing.
“But we need to compete better, and sometimes, we are naive.
“For me, it’s a matter of time for this team to start getting positive results.”
Here’s what fans said as Jackson misses a sitter and Elanga stuns Chelsea to give Nottingham Forest three points…
@DRW23578: Don’t wanna get carried away and coops won’t allow them too but play like that and we gonna pick up some points away from home this year #NFFC
@jimmoriarty81: Best thing about today was seeing all the Chelsea tourists in the crowd who came expecting to see them piss all over lowly Nottingham Forest. Probably paid enough to buy a season ticket for the privilege #CHENFO #NFFC
@neville_steve: For all the money we have spent and players signed, Joe Worrall and Ryan Yates were the heartbeat of that side today. Filled every gap and won every personal battle. Two of our own. #nffc
@AJT_1980: I was expecting 6 points from the first 6 matches, considering 4 were away & who they were against. So tio have 6 points after 4 Prem matches is pleasing. Chuffed in fact! 🙌🏽 Now to stay in the top half of the table #nffc
@Forest_Ablock: I love it when we play like that a team performance. Giving blood playing for the shirt team and fans. Stepping up and having the awareness to cover positions. Yeah we were up against it 2nd half but they had 1 chance and missed we had 1 and scored slowly improving @NFFC #nffc
@vivaricardo: Big 3 points, but some performance from Joe Worrall after the week he’s had. Put some respect on his name #nffc
@dj_zotov: Outstanding win at the Bridge. Captain Worrall immense. Elanga with his first Forest goal. Get in!!! 👏👏👏😍😍🤩🤩 #NFFC
@yeslovey: Brilliant performance! Worrall has had a mental week personally and to captain the side and play like he did was insane to see. Yates was everywhere. Elanga was very good! Just what we needed with the first 6 games we got given! #NFFC
@sco1ney: Look a completely different animal away from home so far this season. Cooper called it, an away win wasn’t far away and we fully deserve that after the hatchet job by the ref/VAR at United. Oh… and we’ve got Sangare, Hudson-Odoi and all our other signings to come in 🤪#NFFC
@GC_NFFC: MASSIVE WIN Top performance from them players today, gotta give credit where it’s due that defensive display honestly was fantastic, especially Boly and Worrall in what’s been a difficult week for him. Exciting times ahead with these new players to come in too 🔴🌳 #NFFC
@ahickey100: Forest are massive everywhere they go, Forest are massive everywhere they goooooooooo everywhere they go 😉 Fcuk You Chelsea fans trying to banter us 2 weeks ago 🖕
@NFFC_Callum: OMG WOW ! what a day that performance was incredible what a day we played amazing Elanga getting his first goal beautiful amazing away and we get 3 points and a deserved 3 points YOU REDSSSSSSS ❤️⚪️❤️⚪️❤️⚪️❤️⚪️🌳
@ClaireLEJohnson: All those fans writing us off because of our defence. They worked there socks off and fully deserve that win! Even more special cos my partner is a #CFC fan so I’m feeling pretty smug right now #nffc
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