Chelsea and Nottingham Forest battled to an intense 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, with goals from Chris Wood and Noni Madueke marking the scoreline in a tightly contested match.
Nottingham Forest took the lead early in the second half when veteran striker Wood found the net, slotting the ball past Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez in the 49th minute. The goal came after a well-rehearsed set-piece, featuring clever play by James Ward-Prowse and Nikola Milenkovic.
Chelsea, however, quickly responded. Just eight minutes later, Madueke cut in from the right and curled a precise left-footed shot beyond Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels. Madueke had consistently troubled Forest’s Alex Moreno throughout the match, and his persistence paid off with this equaliser.
The match took a physical turn when Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White was forced off with an injury, casting doubt over his availability for England’s upcoming fixtures. Moments later, Forest found themselves down to 10 men, as Ward-Prowse received a second yellow card for deliberately handling the ball to thwart a Chelsea counter-attack led by Nicolas Jackson. His earlier booking came after a foul on Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.
The physicality escalated further, as Chelsea’s Madueke also seemed to pick up a knock during a scuffle that started when Forest’s Neco Williams shoved Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella into the technical area, where he collided with Blues’ manager Enzo Maresca.
Chelsea, sensing an opportunity with the extra man, brought on an array of attacking talent, including Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Pedro Neto. Despite the pressure, Forest’s goalkeeper Matz Sels stood tall, denying Palmer twice with strong saves. Felix came close to securing a late winner for Chelsea but sent his header wide during stoppage time.
In the dying moments, both sides came close to snatching a victory. Williams saw his curling effort saved by Sanchez, while at the other end, Nkunku’s powerful diving header was blocked at close range by Sels, ensuring both teams shared the spoils.
Chelsea’s five-match winning streak was brought to an end, but they remain unbeaten in the Premier League since the season opener. Forest extended their unbeaten run on the road to six games, marking their best away form since 1995.
SOURCE: BBC
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