Two former BlueCo-owned players fired Nottingham Forest to victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday afternoon
Chelsea were the architects of their own downfall when they locked horns with Nottingham Forest. Taiwo Awoniyi fired Vitor Pereira’s side to victory at Stamford Bridge on Monday afternoon, crushing any remaining hope that the Blues had of qualifying for either of UEFA’s three club competitions.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Calum McFarlane attributed the defeat to an opening quarter of an hour that was littered with mistakes. The interim Chelsea boss said: “I think the first 15 minutes was unacceptable.
“The manner in which the two goals were conceded has really set us back. It gave ourselves a mountain to climb. You can’t do that at this level, especially against a team that’s fighting for their life. That was pretty much, for me, something that we need to address and improve.”
McFarlane added: “You cannot start games the way we did in the Premier League against a team of Forest’s quality. All we can focus on right now and all I can focus on right now is we’re in tomorrow.
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“We’re training tomorrow, we’ll review the game, we’ll try and find the reason why and try and make sure that the performance level is of a higher level against Liverpool in five days’ time. I’m not looking at the bigger picture, the why, it’s about right now and attacking the moment right now.”
So, with that being said, Jake Stokes of football.london has reflected on what was a miserable afternoon for Chelsea.
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Chelsea great stunned by horror show
Thiago Silva couldn’t believe his eyes. The 41-year-old defender helped Porto win the Portuguese top-flight on Saturday night, and yet he still found the time to pay his former club a visit.
Chelsea didn’t give Silva anything to smile about, though. At one stage, it looked as if the Brazilian was fighting back the tears, muttering a few words under his breath and wiping his eyes as Forest steamrolled Stamford Bridge.
BlueCo… the architects of Chelsea defeat
Ironically, BlueCo shot themselves in the foot on Monday afternoon, with two former Strasbourg players leading Forest to victory.
Dilane Bakwa, who they signed on deadline day last summer for £30m, set up the opener before Sels, who they signed on deadline day in February 2024 for just £5m, denied Palmer from the spot.
Friendly fire!
Colwill makes long-awaited return
Levi Colwill was the last Chelsea player to leave the pitch following the defeat to Forest. The 23-year-old defender, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the start of pre-season last summer, made an excellent impression upon his long-awaited return to the first team.
Eager to bolster the Blues backline, McFarlane replaced Tosin Adarabioyo with Colwill at half-time. The Cobham graduate hit the ground running, making a couple of well-timed tackles to stop it from getting ugly.
Despite having made an incredible recovery, Colwill looked absolutely devastated at the end of the game. He should be one of the very few players that are guanteed a future at Stamford Bridge next season.
De Zerbi spotted behind enemy lines
Bizarrely, Roberto De Zerbi was spotted in the stands at Stamford Bridge on Monday afternoon, fraternising with Paul Winstanley and Sam Jewell in the director’s box. Sitting beside one of his coaching staff, Marcello Quinto, the Tottenham Hotspur head coach mingled with the Chelsea sporting director and director of global recruitment.
De Zerbi was heavily linked with a move to west London when Chelsea sacked Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, but a deal never materialised and the Blues appointed Enzo Maresca instead. Nevertheless, his warm welcome hasn’t gone down well with sections of the fanbase.
However, the Lilywhites’ next away game in the Premier League is at Stamford Bridge on May 19 – just three days after Chelsea lock horns with Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
Chelsea lose sight of Champions League football
Chelsea can no longer mathematically finish in the top five of the Premier League, meaning qualification to the Champions League is essentially out of their control.
The only way that the Blues can squeeze into Europe’s top-flight competition is if they finish sixth in the Premier League, while Aston Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth in the Premier League.
