Super Eagles striker, Taiwo Awoniyi scored a brace for Nottingham Forest, as they took a massive stride toward Premier League survival on Monday, with a dominant 3-1 victory over a lackluster Chelsea side at Stamford Bridge.
The Nigerian forward celebrated his 100th appearance for the club in style, as he helped them win their third consecutive league game, moving them six points clear of the relegation zone, with just four points away from mathematically guaranteeing their top-flight status.
The afternoon quickly turned into a nightmare for the Blues when Awoniyi headed home a Dilane Bakwa cross, just 97 seconds into the match. Forest’s advantage was doubled when Igor Jesus converted a penalty, following a Malo Gusto foul on Awoniyi.
Chelsea’s misery was compounded in first-half stoppage time; after teenager Jesse Derry was stretchered off following a collision in the box. Cole Palmer, saw his subsequent penalty superbly saved by Matz Sels, sending the home side into the break under a chorus of boos.
Forest effectively sealed the result in the 52nd minute when Awoniyi tapped in his second of the afternoon from a Morgan Gibbs-White pass.
While Joao Pedro managed to pull one back with a spectacular late bicycle kick, it served as nothing more than a statistical consolation.
The defeat marks Chelsea’s sixth consecutive league loss—their worst run since 1993—and leaves Calum McFarlane’s side languishing in ninth place.
With only nine points left to play for, the Blues are now on the verge of officially failing to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
The contrast in momentum between the two clubs could not be more stark. While Chelsea faces yet another period of internal instability following the recent sacking of Liam Rosenior, Vitor Pereira’s “gamble” to rotate his squad paid off handsomely.
Unbeaten in their last 10 games across all competitions, Forest now turns their attention to a historic Europa League semi-final second leg against Aston Villa, fueled by the confidence of a domestic campaign that is rapidly nearing a successful conclusion.
