Chelsea spoil emphatic win over Awoniyi's Nottingham Forest with fifth red card in six games

Super Eagles of Nigeria striker Taiwo Awoniyi's first Premier League start of the season ended in disaster as Chelsea romped to a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.

Goals from Josh Acheampong, Pedro Neto, and Reece James helped the Blues to an emphatic win, although Malo Gusto's second-half red card put a damper on Chelsea's celebrations.

The pressure was mounting on Nottingham Forest boss Ange Postecoglou, who desperately needed a result against Chelsea to save his job.

Forest started brightly and had chances through Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White, both failing to capitalise on Chelsea’s early defensive errors.

The Blues, missing key players like Cole Palmer, Moisés Caicedo, and Enzo Fernández, offered little in attack, with a tame Reece James free-kick summing up their poor first half. Their only notable effort came when João Pedro’s clever pass found Andrey Santos, whose shot drifted just wide.

After a frustrating opening 45 minutes, Chelsea’s boss Enzo Maresca, watching from the stands due to suspension, made a triple substitution that immediately transformed his team.

Pedro Neto inspired the breakthrough, setting up Josh Acheampong to head home from close range before smashing in a stunning free-kick moments later.

Forest’s misery deepened when Igor Jesus’ effort hit both the bar and post, while Reece James sealed a 3-0 victory with a thunderous strike late on.

A red card for Malo Gusto was the only blemish on Chelsea’s performance, their fourth away win in 15 games. For Postecoglou, however, it felt like the end, and with Forest’s owner Evangelikos Marinakis leaving early, his future looks bleak.