If only there was an accounting technique that could conceal Chelsea’s dismal goal-scoring record. Unfortunately for Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, a home loss to merciless Nottingham Forest cannot be amortized. As Mauricio Pochettino heard the Stamford Bridge crowd greet the final whistle with vociferous boos, he was perplexed by the fact that £1 billion had been invested in a squad so lacking in intelligence, leadership, and methods to respond to opponents determined to frustrate them.
Pochettino’s difficulties are nothing new, considering Chelsea’s 11 home victories in all competitions since the beginning of last season. This is a team devoid of cutting edge in the final third, comprised of young players who appear unsure of themselves in difficult situations. No one who has been paying close attention to recent events could have been surprised when Anthony Elanga’s clinical finish at the start of the second half gave Forest the victory.
Elanga’s first goal for the club was an opportune boost following Brennan Johnson’s transfer to Tottenham. Forest had executed Steve Cooper’s shrewd plan to perfection, defending with discipline before scoring on the break. Chelsea, who had made a big deal about the average age of their summer recruits being 20,5 years, appeared immature in comparison.
Pochettino stated, “This type of game will help us become more mature.” “Quality is not the only factor that matters.”
He discussed playing more aggressively, and Chelsea’s desperation after falling behind must have worried him. Nicolas Jackson made a big mistake, Raheem Sterling tried hard, and expensive substitutes did little.
Pochettino tried everything, including inserting Cole Palmer for his debut a day after the winger’s £42.5 million transfer from Manchester City and turning to the £88.5 million Mykhailo Mudryk with more hope than expectation, but Forest would not give up their first road victory since January.
Cooper said, “We discussed how we could hurt Chelsea, and then we focused on keeping a clean sheet.” “There is no shame in that.”
There were numerous things to admire about Forest’s defense. Ola Aina neutralized Sterling, who failed to demonstrate that Gareth Southgate made a mistake by leaving him out of the England squad, and Chelsea struggled throughout a lackluster first half. Possession but no penetration, with Enzo Fernández the main threat, and the hosts seemed uncomfortable defending set pieces.
At moments, Taiwo Awoniyi bullied Thiago Silva, and the Forest striker missed two excellent opportunities to open the scoring.
Forest’s strategy was effective. Cooper has not been deterred by the club’s frenetic activity in the transfer market — seven players joined on the final day of the window — from ensuring that his players know how to perform their duties.
Such cohesion is lacking in Chelsea. Three minutes into the second half, Forest would capitalize on the ambiguity caused by the summer’s transformations. Orel Mangala made a critical interception after Moisés Caicedo and Conor Gallagher lost possession in the middle of the pitch. The ball was passed to Awoniyi, who deceived Silva with a deft pass. Danilo’s replacement, Elanga, evaded Levi Colwill before firing a composed shot past Robert Sánchez.
A silence descended upon the home sections. Pochettino consulted his committee and removed the £115 million Caicedo. Palmer played at No. 10, Noni Madueke moved to the right flank, and Ian Maatsen arrived. Joe Worrall, however, was expertly directing the Forest defense, which was not yielding much away.
Concerning Forest, however, was the fact that they blew a 2-0 lead against Manchester United last Saturday. When Sterling reached the right byline and cut the ball back for Jackson from three yards out, it appeared that an equalizer would be scored, but the striker put the ball over the crossbar. Soon, Pochettino would hear curses.
