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ENZO MARESCA made significant changes, leaving Ange Postecoglou with a familiar sense of disappointment.
Maresca’s squad rotation fell short during a first half where Postecoglou’s team had ample opportunities to convert their dominance into goals.
Josh Acheampong rises to head Chelsea in frontCredit: AFP
Teenager Acheampong celebrates scoring his first Blues goalCredit: Getty
However, just minutes after a triple substitution at halftime, the Blues found themselves two goals up thanks to Pedro Neto.
The home supporters expressed their frustration, suggesting Postecoglou was out of his depth.
Meanwhile, the jubilant visiting fans urged the Aussie to cheer up, even as they chanted that he might be “getting sacked in the morning.”
When Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis vacated his seat with a third of the game remaining, it raised questions about how long Postecoglou would remain in charge.
The first round of boos echoed only when Chelsea captain Reece James scored the third goal with six minutes left on the clock.
By that point, many Forest fans had already decided to leave, following Marinakis’ lead.
Maresca was seated just in front of Marinakis in the Peter Taylor Stand due to a suspension.
The performance his team delivered in the first half would have looked poor from any perspective.
However, whatever Maresca said during the halftime break and the decisive changes he implemented turned the game in favor of injury-plagued Chelsea.
They successfully navigated the first of seven challenges in a span of 21 days, and Maresca will need to manage his rotation effectively in the upcoming weeks.
This is especially crucial since Malo Gusto foolishly added his name to the Blues’ red card list by receiving a second yellow card in the dying moments while his team was leading 3-0.
Chelsea began the match without Enzo Fernandez, who was not fit enough to even sit on the bench, while key player Moises Caicedo was named as a substitute.
If there was ever a match where the atmosphere and likely outcome hinged on the first goal, this was it.
Forest had ample chances to score during a first half in which they were the superior team.
In the opening moments, Taiwo Awoniyi surged down the left flank, but his weak, inaccurate shot reflected the struggles of someone who had been sidelined for five months due to a serious injury against Leicester.
In-form Elliot Anderson had no such excuse when Morgan Gibbs-White set him up in a similar position.
The young England star opted to turn onto his right foot instead of shooting first time, allowing Josh Acheampong to close in and Malo Gusto to clear the danger.
Despite the return of Trevoh Chalobah from suspension, Chelsea appeared vulnerable at the back.
Pressure is mounting on beleaguered manager Ange PostecoglouCredit: Getty
The errant pass from Chalobah that led to Anderson's opportunity was not an isolated incident.
Forest was pressing vigorously, winning 50-50 challenges, and generally making life difficult for the visitors.
Lavia was the next to lose possession, and the Blues should have faced consequences.
Awoniyi set up Gibbs-White, but the Forest captain failed to even hit the target.
Just moments later, following an Acheampong mistake, Gibbs-White could not direct Douglas Luiz’s headed cross towards the goal.
Yet Chelsea could have gone into halftime ahead.
Andrey Santos squandered their first real opportunity in the 39th minute and shortly after fired a shot wide of the far post when he should have at least tested the goalkeeper.
Neto also shot over the bar from a promising position as Chelsea finally showed some signs of life.
Pedro Neto bends a shot in at the near postCredit: Reuters
