The troubles of Chelsea deepened at the City Ground as Nottingham Forest secured a commanding lead in their Premier League encounter, with Igor Jesus...
The troubles of Chelsea deepened at the City Ground as Nottingham Forest secured a commanding lead in their Premier League encounter, with Igor Jesus stepping up to dispatch a clinical penalty that doubled the home side. �s advantage. The spot kick was awarded following a contentious shirt pull by Malo Gusto on the lively Nigerian international, a decision that left the visiting supporters seething. In the scheme of things, this was a moment of decisiveness from the Brazilian born striker, who kept his composure to send the goalkeeper the wrong way. Chelsea, for all their possession, looked bereft of ideas against a resilient Forest backline that gave a good account of themselves throughout the first half. The powers that be at the Chelsea boardroom will surely be asking questions of their expensively assembled squad, as the London club continues to stumble in this campaign. GoalZaza understands that the incident involving Gusto has sparked debate among pundits, with many pointing to the defender. �s lack of awareness as a costly error. At the end of the day, Nottingham Forest took the lion. �s share of the chances and made them count against a side that has now lost three of their last five matches on the road. The atmosphere in the stands was electric, with the home fans roaring their approval as Jesus celebrated with his teammates under the floodlights. Back in Lagos, at popular viewing centres in Surulere and Ikeja, the reaction was a mixture of exasperation and mockery. One fan, clad in a Super Eagles jersey, was heard shouting that Chelsea have become a shadow of the formidable team that once terrorised Europe, while another lamented the absence of any Nigerian connection in the Chelsea attack to inspire a turnaround. The general consensus was that Nwabali, the Super Eagles goalkeeper, would have fancied his chances against that penalty, but Jesus placed it beyond the reach of any man. As the final whistle approaches, the question remains whether this Chelsea side can salvage any pride from what is fast becoming a forgettable season.
