By Joshua Otieno | May 4, 2026
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — Nottingham Forest produced a dominant display to defeat Chelsea FC 3–1 at Stamford Bridge in a Premier League encounter on Monday night.
Forest took control of the match early, with Taiwo Awoniyi opening the scoring in just the second minute before doubling his tally in the 52nd minute to cap an outstanding performance.
Igor Jesus had already extended the visitors’ lead in the 15th minute, calmly converting from the penalty spot to put Forest firmly in command.
Chelsea struggled to respond throughout the match and only managed a late consolation goal deep into stoppage time, when João Pedro scored a spectacular overhead kick in the 93rd minute.
The game was also marked by concern for Chelsea after goalkeeper Robert Sánchez was forced off following a head injury during the contest.
The result sees Forest complete a remarkable turnaround from the reverse fixture earlier in the season, where Chelsea had secured a convincing 3–0 victory.
League implications
Following the result, Chelsea remain ninth in the table with 48 points, while Nottingham Forest sit 16th with 39 points, boosting their hopes of avoiding relegation.
Season context
The two sides have now split their Premier League meetings this season, with each team winning convincingly away from home—highlighting the unpredictable nature of their encounters.
Chelsea now face a challenging run of fixtures, including a league clash against Liverpool and an FA Cup final showdown with Manchester City, as they look to salvage their season.
For Forest, the victory represents a crucial step toward survival, underlining their resilience and ability to deliver when it matters most.
