Chelsea 1-1 Nottingham Forest: Player ratings as Blues are held in frustrating draw at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw by Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday. Chris Wood fired the Tricky Trees in front after 49 minutes before Noni Madueke equalized for the Blues shortly after. The visitors were reduced to 10-men in the 78th minute when James Ward-Prowse received a second booking and was sent off. Enzo Maresca’s side upped the ante and looked for a winner, but Forest held firm, weathering the late storm to earn a big point away from home. Here are the player ratings for both, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest:
Chelsea Player Ratings vs Nottm Forest
Goalkeeper
Robert Sanchez – 7
Nottingham Forest’s frighteningly good attacking style meant Sanchez was kept on his toes but he didn’t flinch under pressure and made a series of big saves to keep his side from getting blown away.
Defenders
Malo Gusto – 6.5
The Brazilian didn’t really face any threat on the right side, so he had the chance to drive forward at will, and Gusto did so gleefully.
Wesley Fofana – 7
Excellent vision combined with breathtaking industry made for a stoic display from Fofana, who made five clearances and blocked one shot. His aerial dominance was there for all to see too, as the defender won four of his five duels.
Levi Colwill – 7
A solid display in defense from Colwill, who held the fort well to frustrate Nottingham Forest. He registered two clearances and three interceptions while completing over 90% of his passes.
Marc Cucurella – 6
The Spaniard’s efforts cannot be denied, but he came a cropper most of the time, especially in his duels. Cucurella needs to get more dominant off the ball.
Midfielders
Moises Caicedo – 6
He received the first booking of the game for taking out Gibbs-White and misplaced a few passes too.
Enzo Fernandez – 7
A frightening attacking presence on the flanks for Chelsea, as Fernandez didn’t hesitate to come off his line and add an extra layer of threat to their offense. In fact, he also laid two key passes and four crosses, while also playing a key role in regaining possession.
Forwards
Noni Madueke – 8
He had been a thorn in Forest’s flesh all evening with his pace, movements and directness, and finally beat their defense just before the hour mark to pull Chelsea level.
Cole Palmer – 7.5
Palmer set up the equalizer for Madueke with a clinical ball from the right.
Jadon Sancho – 6.5
The Manchester United loanee looked creative, brilliantly carving out Nottingham Forest’s defense with his footwork and linked up well with his attacking cohorts. He laid three key passes and one cross.
Nicolas Jackson – 7
He may have mustered just one shot on target, but Jackson was a big threat off the ball for Forest, as he constantly sought to run into spaces or chase that loose ball which kept the visitors on their toes. The 23-year-old was unfortunate not to have won a penalty in the 14th minute.
Substitutes
Joao Felix – 6
The Portuguese star was brought on to add more firepower but fell short in his endeavors. He also fired a great chance wide in the fourth minute of added time.
Christopher Nkunku – 6
A non-factor for much of the time he was on the field.
Mykhaylo Mudryk – N/A
A desperate substitution by Maresca in the closing moments yielded nothing.
Pedro Neto – N/A
He, too, came with Mudryk in the dying embers but could barely even get a whiff of the ball.
Manager
Enzo Maresca – 6
The Chelsea manager waited far too long to make substitutions today as Chelsea looked toothless going forward besides a few moments of quality here and there.
Nottm Forest Player Ratings vs Chelsea
Goalkeeper
Matz Sels – 6.5
The Nottingham Forest man held firm when Chelsea threw the kitchen sink in the closing stages, frustrating them with his vital interventions.
Defenders
Ola Aina – 6.5
With four clearances and one blocked shot, Aina had a good return to Stamford Bridge, as he also passed the ball around well.
Nikola Milenkovic – 7.5
His aerial dominance was there for all to see, not in terms of defending at his end, but also posing a threat to Chelsea at the other end. The Serb nodded a free-kick back into the area for Wood to tap home, bagging the assist.
Murillo – 6.5
Good positioning and excellent reading of the game, but lacked the pace to compete with Chelsea’s forwards, and looked terrible with his passes too.
Alex Moreno – 7
Moreno made five clearances and three tackles, as well as one interception in a fairly good display for Forest.
Midfielders
Ryan Yates – 6.5
Yates fought hard for the ball, winning six of his 12 ground duels, while also posting a threat to Chelsea with his shots.
James Ward-Prowse – 6.5
He created their opening goal by brilliantly lifting a free-kick inside the box, but later landed his side in hot water by getting himself sent off midway through the second half for a second yellow.
Forwards
Callum Hudson-Odoi – 7.5
Another former Chelsea man back at the Bridge, Hudson-Odoi too had a good return, marking it with three key passes and completing 100% of his passes.
Morgan Gibbs-White – 6.5
He was far too sloppy on the ball and misplaced his passes too.
Elliot Anderson – 6.5
Anderson offered no great shakes in attack for the Tricky Trees, often looking clueless on the ball.
Chris Wood – 8
Wood got a toe to Milenkovic’s headed pass back into the area and put Nottingham Forest in front. He is one of the only five players to have scored 10 or more goals away from home since the start of the last season.
Substitutes
Jota Silva – 6.5
A big threat off the ball, competing with Chelsea players for possession and coming up trumps most of the time.
Nicolas Dominguez – 5
He struggled to get involved in the final 20-odd minutes that he had come on for.
Morato – 7
Morato made four clearances in eight minutes which tells you what an impact he had in defense for Forest in the closing stages as Chelsea looked for the winner.
Neco Williams – 4
A complete non-factor for Forest in the closing stages.
Anthony Elanga – 5
Elanga could barely get involved after coming on.
Manager
Nuno Espirito Santo – 7
The manager picks up another scalp, having beaten Liverpool away from home earlier this season.
Also Read: Brighton vs Tottenham Hotspur Player Ratings: The Seagulls pose a dramatic comeback over Spurs
FAQs
What was the result of Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest?
The result of the Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest game was a 1-1 draw.
When did Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest happen?
Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest happened in the Premier League on Sunday, 6 October 2024.
Who was the man of the match of Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest?
Cole Palmer was the man of the match between Chelsea and Nottingham Forest.