What the papers say: Chelsea v Nottingham Forest

Despite going down to 10 men, Nottingham Forest held on to a 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Here’s what the national newspapers had to say

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The Guardian

Chelsea played for 26 minutes with an extra player, survived a mass brawl, saw João Félix spurn a late unmissable header and watched two brilliant saves deny goal machine Cole Palmer. Even on the back of five wins on the trot, there was nothing they could do to break Nottingham Forest’s unbeaten record on their travels.

Two outstanding saves, one at each end, during 14 minutes of injury time probably rightly ensured this high-octane Premier League encounter ended with honours even. Even then, Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Robert Sánchez, was stretched to the limit to keep out the substitute Jota Silva’s downward header as the clock ticked into a nail-biting 104th minute.

The late drama had been sparked by the dismissal of James Ward-Prowse. If the England international, 30 next month, did have the legs for a footrace with Nicolas Jackson from the halfway line in the 78th minute, they quickly disappeared from under him.

The Times

This Chelsea team may not possess the ruthlessness or smarts to challenge for the Premier League title just yet but, for sheer entertainment these days, there aren’t many better value tickets in town.

A breathless afternoon at Stamford Bridge, during which Chelsea and Nottingham Forest shared a frankly ridiculous 38 attempts at goal and Forest were reduced to ten men in the 78th minute, ended with everyone heading for the exits wondering quite how this game could have ended with one goal apiece.

Chris Wood gave Forest the lead four minutes into the second half before Noni Madueke levelled in the 57th minute. Were it not for both teams’ profligacy in front of goal and two outstanding performances by the goalkeepers, this could easily have been another Chelsea game in which the goals flowed at both ends.

The Telegraph

Enzo Maresca declared himself “very happy” with his Chelsea bad boys, despite the fact the club will be fined for a second time this season for ill-discipline and Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana will serve one-match bans.

Nicolas Jackson may escape being retrospectively punished for striking Nottingham Forest substitute Morato, having been cleared by VAR, but both clubs could land Football Association charges for failing to control their players in a chaotic late bust-up.

The FA will review referee Christopher Kavanagh’s report before deciding whether to take action, although VAR checked Jackson’s swipe at Morato during the game and deemed that it was not violent conduct.

The Independent

Chelsea’s winning run in the Premier League was brought to an end by 10-man Nottingham Forest who battled to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge to maintain their own strong start to the season.

Enzo Maresca’s side were chasing a fourth victory in a row to shore up their place in the top four but needed a brilliant solo equaliser from Noni Madueke to cancel out Chris Wood’s goal early in the second half.

Thereafter Chelsea bombarded the visitors and looked likely to go on and win after James Ward-Prowse was dismissed for handling the ball as Nicolas Jackson threatened to race through on goal.

The i

Before anything else, this was great fun. Chelsea’s joyous attack of misunderstood footballing alchemists writhed and flicked and stopped and started, a misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms.

It climaxed with 13 whiplash-inducing minutes of added-time, raw and rowdy and roughshod, an increasingly terse second half at one point breaking out into a full-scale brawl of adolescent shoving and name-calling. Although, for what it’s worth, you got the impression Nicolas Jackson was ready to escalate things if Enzo Maresca would have just let him at ‘em.

For all the talk of an unwavering tactical blueprint pre-Chelsea, Maresca appears to appreciate the opportunity in front of him. Gifted a team littered with Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho, Noni Madueke and Joao Felix, he is leaning into the magic rather than trying to tame it. Even if they couldn’t conjure up three points in the deceptive cold, they were perfectly capable of doing so.

The Mail

Enzo Maresca encouraged his Chelsea players to carry on scrapping after another game in which his team racked up enough yellows to ensure the Football Association’s coffers will be boosted.

The Blues will be fined £50,000 for picking up at least six cautions against the 10 men of Nottingham Forest, double the £25,000 they paid as punishment for the same offence last month at Bournemouth because they are deemed reoffenders.

While a 1-1 scoreline may seem ordinary, this fixture was as frenzied as they come, a contest never more chaotic than when a mass melee was instigated by Neco Williams.

The Mirror

Enzo Maresca had insisted this week that Chelsea are not yet ready to take on the big guns of the Premier League in a title battle. On this evidence, the Italian is right.

Forest played with 10 men after James Ward-Prowse was sent off 12 minutes from time at Stamford Bridge, but Nuno Espirito Santo’s men played with determination and skill – and could have notched a remarkable win.

Chelsea had six men booked, so could now face a second £25,000 fine this season already, and frustration boiled over late in the game as a 20-man brawl broke out after Forest substitute Neco Williams appeared to push Marc Cucurella into Maresca.

The Sun

For the second Premier League game in a row Chelsea had to come from behind.

But while Forest threw a large spanner into the works of the Blues’ goal machine, nothing can short fuse the electricity when Enzo Maresca’s team is in full flow.

Just like last weekend when Brighton were beaten 4-2 in a thriller, the spills and ills of this feisty young team took over to produce an absolute cracker of a climax that had everything.

Bust ups, brawls, brilliant saves and Chelsea head coach Maresca taking an unexpected flight into the air when clattered by one of his own defenders in the technical area.

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