Chelsea beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 in the Premier League after two goals in three minutes and ended a thrilling return to the City Ground.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team took the lead thanks to a goal from Mykhailo Mudryk after a sublime pass from Cole Palmer. However, Willy Boly equalized with a header after a loose shot just in the 16th minute.
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Former Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi looked to have guaranteed Forest’s protection (they only needed a point in this match) with a curly finish. However, substitute Raheem Sterling struck back five minutes later with a near-goal with just 10 minutes remaining. His substitute Reece James then provided a better cross for Nicolas Jackson to come home and complete the round.
The result leaves Chelsea in seventh place with 57 points, the same number as Newcastle, one position above them. Manchester United are 3 points behind, with their game pending on Sunday against Arsenal.
Simon Johnson discusses the main talking points of the game.
It’s no longer a question of whether Palmer will be part of England’s Euro 2024 squad, but how long he’ll be able to play.
Palmer took his Premier League goal tally to 31 (21 goals, 10 assists) for the season at the City Ground. This means that he is on par with his English teammate Ollie Watkins at the top of the standings.
You can count on Palmer to do anything in a game that will take your breath away. This time it was a sublimely weighted ball from Forest’s inside full-back Gonzalo Montiel that Mudryk was able to take advantage of and put Chelsea in front.
Chance for Mykhailo Mudryk! ?pic. twitter. com/31QWzAgxgf
– Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 11, 2024
A brilliant start for Chelsea in Nottingham!
? @USANetwork | #NFOCHE pic. twitter. com/8Ni6uq5rhK
– NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) May 11, 2024
Had Jackson been more ruthless in the first half, Palmer would have gotten two assists, but the Chelsea striker’s shot was saved by Matz Sels. In the second half, his charming skill with a loose shot almost led to a goal, but Thiago Silva’s header was right. the post. On some other day, Palmer could have made a hat-trick of assists.
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It’s those qualities, not to mention his finishing, that make Gareth Southgate take notice. England are lucky to have skill in attacking positions, but Palmer can bring the X-factor to Germany, if only from the bench.
In fact, it’s not an idea that I’m just making up figures.
The goalkeeper is one of the problematic positions for the one who will be the head coach of the season at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea signed Robert Sanchez and Djordje Petrovic last summer, but both have doubts about whether they are smart enough to be the long-term number one.
Petrovic inspired after Sanchez was injured in December; It seemed that it could be the solution. However, his form has declined in recent months and he has not been able to take over the position until next season.
And today’s demonstration by Serbian internationals against Nottingham Forest is another reminder of why.
It took him about 70 seconds to show his newfound nervousness. It took him too long to pass a ball over the most sensitive and that gave Chris Wood the chance to throw it. Fortunately, the attacker used a 7-iron in his lugar. de a wedge of sand and didn’t get enough height in his effort.
But every time Forest crossed the ball, Petrovic looked uncomfortable. Although he didn’t get much coverage from defenders, his nervousness passed on to the team. On a positive note, some of his handling was improving as the second half progressed. adding a brave deep corner in stoppage time.
At 24 years old, Petrovic is young to be a goalkeeper, so he has the capacity to improve. It was also his first season in English football. But will Chelsea be able to give him that opportunity?
Meanwhile, Sanchez has been disappointed when he took over and Kepa Arrizabalaga is unlikely to return to the fold after his loan at Real Madrid. It’s not that Chelsea are looking at the market again.
It’s a “what if” for Mauricio Pochettino, but what would this season have been like if James had been fit?
The Argentine will be the first Chelsea head coach to regret James’ injury problems; Unfortunately, this has been a recurring theme for the past three years.
It was the England international’s first appearance since undergoing surgery for a hamstring problem in December. He came on in the 79th minute with Chelsea trailing 2-1. Within 3 minutes, Chelsea were leading 3-2 and played a leading role in the winning goal. .
It was his superbly judged cross that allowed him to locate Jackson at the far post and go home. What a moment for the Chelsea captain.
James had to be patient, and Chelsea were reluctant to bring him back too soon. The 24-year-old felt ready to play in the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City last month, but the club reserved West Ham last weekend for his return. That did not materialize either.
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Malo Gusto did a smart job in his first season at the club, but James is the biggest right-back and also brings that character that the team lacked at times. Chelsea will be hoping to play a full role next season. be much older for it.
As if to underline this point, Chelsea fans made their emotions transparent by chanting: “Reece James, he’s one of us. “
Despite speculation about his future, fuelled only by his press conference this week, Pochettino gave the impression of suggesting he could continue as coach next season. He told the BBC: “To clarify, if the owner is satisfied with my work, I can continue. I’m a coach who thinks long-term. I still have one year left on my contract and I think I’ll be here.
Wednesday 15 May: Brighton (A), Premier League, 19:45 BST, 14:45 ET
Chelsea head south to face Brighton, having won 3-2 in December.
Despite recent history, the Amex has been a position of satisfaction for Chelsea, with the visiting side picking up three wins, drawing two and wasting just one of their six Premier League visits. That defeat, however, came last season and it was painful: Graham Potter’s Chelsea lost 4-1 that day.