Chelsea ran riot with a commanding 3-0 triumph at Nottingham Forest’s the City Ground, However, an another late red card somewhat overshadowed an impressive Premier League outing.
The Blues, without the likes of Cole Palmer, Moisés Caicedo, and Enzo Fernández, failed to establish a rhythm in the first 45 minutes as Forest made a feast of their opportunities through Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White.
While Chelsea were lethargic in the opening period, João Pedro came close to opening the scoring after breaking through with a smart pass to Andrey Santos, whose shot went just wide.
Once the game had resumed, Enzo Maresca’s substitutions at the interval had the desired effect as Chelsea came alive. The goal was engineered by Pedro Neto who sprinted down the left to provide a perfect ball for Josh Acheampong, who volleyed past the keeper from point-blank range. Having been set up by a lightning quick counter-attack, Neto then extended the lead within seconds with a free-kick of a caliber that left the Forest goalie totally helpless.
Third-time captain Reece James made it 3–0 with a goal of the match type after he powerfully hammered in from a corner to finish off a dominant second-half performance. On the other hand, Chelsea were down in number as Malo Gusto was shown a red card in the dying moments — This was the second red card in as many games for Chelsea.
The outcome was a fourth triumph for Chelsea in five visits to Forest and a potent early- season incentive for them.
