Chelsea booed off as Elanga brings blues back to the Bridge
CHELSEA 0 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1
OVER A BILLION Euros spent in the past year and Chelsea look no closer to challenging for trophies than they did in a disastrous last season, as Anthony Elanga gave Nottingham Forest their first victory at Stamford Bridge for 28 years.
This was Chelsea's second defeat in four league games under Mauricio Pochettino, and was a return to the dark days of last season, when teams with far fewer resources would come to Stamford Bridge confident of picking up points.
There was booing at the final whistle, some for the officials but also for a Chelsea side that have yet to show the star quality that should come with the sort of astronomic spending undertaken by Todd Boehly and Behdad Egbahli.
For Steve Cooper, though, this was a superb result and well deserved. Forest defended like lions when under pressure, and took their one clear chance clinically.
They had given as good as they got, and had two of the best chances to break the deadlock in the first half, both falling to Taiwo Awoniyi, who volleyed over and wide from close range amid chaotic scenes in the Chelsea penalty area.
The Blues found their best routes towards goal from the flanks, with Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell firing in dangerous crosses, but Nicolas Jackson was unable to convert, and the striker was subsequently booked for waving an imaginary yellow card when fouled by Ola Aina. Referee Tim Robinson had no alternative under new guidelines but to book Jackson for unsporting conduct.
Enzo Fernandes, finally playing the number eight role that matches his squad number, fired a couple of shots over the bar and straight at Matt Turner, the Forest goalkeeper who was rarely stretched before the break.
Forest, even without the
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