Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca praised his team’s “fighting spirit” following a chaotic 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The heated encounter saw Chelsea miss an opportunity to secure a win despite playing against 10 men in the final stages.
Forest took the lead through Chris Wood early in the second half, but Noni Madueke equalised for Chelsea. Despite their numerical advantage after Forest’s James Ward-Prowse was sent off in the 78th minute, Chelsea couldn’t find a winning goal.
Tensions boiled over late in the game when a push by Forest’s Neco Williams on Marc Cucurella sparked a melee involving nearly all 22 players, with Maresca himself being knocked to the ground.
“I think the team is fighting all together. I don’t think some of them lost their heads, they were all in the game,” Maresca said, whose side was shown six yellow cards for the second time this season. When asked about Chelsea’s discipline, he responded, “No, it’s something we need to improve, but I like how they are fighting and becoming a team in these moments.”
The result halted Chelsea’s momentum after winning three consecutive Premier League games and five across all competitions. They enter the international break in fourth place.
The match had few quality moments, with Robert Sanchez making key saves to deny Forest early on. Chelsea struggled to test Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels until just before halftime when Madueke and Enzo Fernandez forced a series of saves.
Forest stunned Chelsea four minutes into the second half when Nikola Milenkovic’s flick found Chris Wood, who prodded home his fourth goal. Madueke responded for Chelsea in the 57th minute, finishing off a pass from Cole Palmer, but he missed a golden chance to complete the comeback shortly after.
Despite the sending-off of Ward-Prowse for a foul on Nicolas Jackson, Chelsea failed to capitalize. Palmer was denied twice by Sels, and Joao Felix missed a header in stoppage time from Pedro Neto’s cross, leaving the Blues frustrated at the final whistle.
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