Chelsea drew 2-2 against Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge this afternoon as Edouard Mendy endured a game to forget after making his return to the starting XI
Chelsea player ratings vs Nottingham Forest as Sterling shines despite Mendy decision backfiring (Image: (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images))
Chelsea drew 2-2 against Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge as Frank Lampard failed to pick up back-to-back wins. The Blues looked much better in the second half but were unable to take all three points against a spirited Forest side.
Edouard Mendy was handed his first start in the Premier League since the 1-0 defeat against Newcastle at St. James’ Park in November. Things didn’t start well for the Senegalese keeper as he was at fault for Forest’s opening goal in the 14th minute.
N’Golo Kante was absent from the matchday squad after suffering a groin injury with his future at Chelsea still uncertain with his current contract set to expire this summer. Raheem Sterling’s brace came between both of Taiwo Awoniyi’s goals for Steve Cooper’s side as the points were shared in west London.
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Chelsea dominated possession early in the game with Forest looking to break on the counter-attack. Benoit Badaishile won his early duels with Taiwo Awoniyi as he continued his good form from the win against Bournemouth.
Lewis Hall looked assured at left-back with Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella both injured and unavailable, dealing with the threat of Serge Aurier. Noni Madueke had the beating of his opposition once again but his end product let him down with Chelsea struggling to make their early dominance count.
Forest took the lead through Taiwo Awoniyi after the Nigerian striker latched onto Renan Lodi’s cross to head home past Mendy. The Senegalese goalkeeper did not cover himself in glory as he flapped at the ball, taking out Thiago Silva and leaving an empty net for Awoniyi to head the ball into.
Chelsea were unable to find an equaliser before half-time as Mateo Kovacic had to be withdrawn with an injury – with his season now looking likely to be over. Joao Felix had the best chance of the half but his header was well-saved by Keylor Navas.
Forest were unlucky not to have doubled their lead as Moussa Niakhate missed a golden opportunity at the back post, heading wide from a Forest corner. Raheem Sterling equalised for the hosts – his first goal since his strike in the reverse fixture at the City Ground – firing the ball past Navas from close range.
The England international grabbed his brace after sitting down Felipe before curling a shot into the far corner to give the Blues a 2-1 lead. Awoniyi popped up with a header at the back post after Chelsea failed to clear the ball from a corner with the Forest striker sneaking in behind Hall to equalise.
Paul Tierney became the villain at Stamford Bridge as numerous decisions went against Chelsea as the game died down, ending in both teams sharing the points.
Edouard Mendy – 4. Not the return Edouard Mendy would have hoped for after replacing Kepa Arrizabalaga in the starting line-up for the first time in six months. The 31-year-old was at fault for Forest’s opener and failed to prove he deserved to start ahead of the Spaniard this afternoon.
Trevoh Chalobah – 7. A strong performance from Trevoh Chalobah as he grabbed the assist for Sterling’s first goal. He was a constant threat on the right, forming a good partnership with Madueke and was solid defensively despite playing in a right-back role.
Thiago Silva – 6. A good performance again from the Brazilian defender after Chelsea fans showed their appreciation for him with two new banners before kick-off. Despite conceding twice, he was always in the right places for the Blues and continues to show leadership as a senior star in a young team.
Benoit Badiashile – 6. Not as good as his performance against Bournemouth but still effective. Badiashile stood up to the physical battle against Awoniyi and helped the Blues make progress up the pitch.
Lewis Hall – 6. A lack of concentration as he failed to track Awoniyi at the back post for Forest’s second-half equaliser. The youngster showed signs of promise and worked well with Sterling on the left.
Mateo Kovacic – 4. Kovacic’s season looks to be over after he was withdrawn in the first half with an injury. He failed to impact the game whilst he was on the pitch and he may have played his final game for the Blues.
Enzo Fernandez – 6. Another solid display from Enzo Fernandez who relentlessly tried to get the team moving up the pitch. His passing was a joy to watch but he rarely found any breakthrough from midfield.
Conor Gallagher – 5. Gallagher showed a lot of energy without any real end product. He helped the Blues’ press but was unable to take control of the game.
Raheem Sterling – 7. Was today the day Raheem Sterling finally announced himself at Chelsea? Two goals – top finishes as well – and an overall strong performance from the England international who now has three goal contributions in his last two appearances.
Noni Madueke –6. Not as effective today as he was against Bournemouth but still caused problems for Forest. The end product was what let him down.
Joao Felix – 5. Joao Felix found life hard up against the three Forest centre-backs. The Portuguese forward showed a bit of bite in his game but failed to convert his only clear chance.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 5. A decent performance off the bench but nothing really to write home about.
Hakim Ziyech – N/A
Kai Havertz – N/A
Source: football.london
