Chelsea fell to a sixth consecutive Premier League defeat for the first time since 1993, as interim head coach Calum McFarlane blasted the opening 15 minutes of their Stamford Bridge loss to Nottingham Forest as completely unacceptable.
Taiwo Awoniyi powered home a second-minute header, and Igor Jesus converted a 15th-minute penalty to put Vítor Pereira’s visitors firmly in control. Awoniyi added a second later to seal a vital three points for Forest in their fight to beat relegation.
“I thought the first 15 minutes we were nowhere near the level we needed to be,” McFarlane said. “The early goal was a bit of a sucker punch. We knew they like to cross to the back post and that their No. 9 likes to peel off there. We should have defended that moment much better.”
Chelsea created chances throughout the game, with Enzo Fernández striking the post, Cole Palmer missing a penalty, and João Pedro seeing a goal ruled out for offside before the Brazilian pulled one back with a stunning scissor kick late on.
“We had our moments,” McFarlane added. “But when you start that badly, you need those chances to fall your way to give yourself a shot at fighting back. Ultimately, though, the first 15 minutes was not acceptable.”
The Blues now sit 10 points off fifth place with just nine points left to play for. When asked about the team’s motivation for chasing Europa League or Conference League spots, McFarlane replied: “I know this group. They’re driven. They want the best for themselves and for this club. We’re going to push to win every game we have left this season.”
Pereira can now turn his attention to a Europa League semi-final second leg against Aston Villa. However, he faces a worry over Morgan Gibbs-White, who came off with a deep cut after entering as a substitute.
“He has a deep cut and we’ll see, but Gibbs-White is a fighter,” Pereira said. “I hope our medical team can work some magic to get him ready, because he’s so important for us.”