Awoniyi doubles in Chelsea 1-3 Nottingham Forest — Classement Chelsea – Nottingham Forest
classement chelsea – nottingham forest ended with Chelsea beaten 3-1 at Stamford Bridge, a result that pushed their Champions League hopes into the hands of Aston Villa. Nottingham Forest led from the second minute and never gave the home side a route back into the match.
Awoniyi strikes twice early
Awoniyi set the tone with a header at the far post in the 2nd minute, then made it 3-0 in the 52nd minute for his second goal of the match. Between those strikes, Igor Jesus doubled Nottingham Forest's lead in the 15th minute, turning a tense away start into a cushion Chelsea could not erase.
Chelsea created one clear opening before the break and missed it. Cole Palmer was denied by Sels from the penalty spot in the 45th minute, leaving the hosts without the response they needed before half-time and putting even more weight on the early Forest goals.
Chelsea waste their penalty
The penalty miss mattered because Chelsea had already spent the previous five league matches chasing form and entered this game after being eliminated by PSG. That run left little margin for another setback, and Forest made sure there was no soft landing at Stamford Bridge.
Joao Pedro at least gave Chelsea a late edge in the final scoreline with an acrobatic overhead kick in the 90th minute plus 3, but it arrived after the match had already been decided. Chelsea finished 9th after the defeat, which leaves their Champions League route dependent on Aston Villa winning the Europa Conference League final.
Forest move in survival fight
For Nottingham Forest, the win also improved their position in the fight for survival. The three points came from a fast start, a second goal before the half-hour mark, and a controlled finish after Chelsea's missed penalty had already flattened the home side's best chance to change the game.
That leaves Chelsea with no control over their own European fate. They need help from Aston Villa now, while Forest leave London with a result built on Awoniyi's early header, Igor Jesus' second goal, and a defensive hold after the break.
