Football React | Nottingham Forest 0 - 3 Chelsea

A comfortable afternoon for Chelsea which resulted in the sacking of Ange Postlecoglou. 

Josh Acheampong and winger Pedro Neto struck soon after half-time. Captain Reece James later completed the scoring to secure a 3-0 victory for Chelsea.

Author | Lewis W

Stadium | The City Ground

The only downside came when Malo Gusto was sent off for a second yellow card in a hectic last few moments of the match.

Best fan reaction

Oggie: We look a much better side when playing on the front foot, and with the number of attacking players we have, it’s frustrating to see us still so cautious. I get that you can’t go full throttle for 90 minutes, but we invite pressure and keep giving the ball away when trying to play out from the back. Fortunate not to be punished in the first half. Still, a clean sheet and three points.

Jamie: A solid performance against a struggling team, but the lack of discipline remains a real concern. It didn’t cost us today, though it won’t always be that way. Reece James was excellent – hopefully he can stay fit and build some consistency.

Jacqui: We’re turning into Second Half FC. Credit to Enzo Maresca for making effective half-time adjustments, but the first halves are often far too shaky. It would be nice to see a full 90 minutes of steady football. One can hope.

Marvin: Pleased with the win but far from convinced. On another day, a stronger team would have punished us in that first half. The discipline issue has to be addressed – more red cards will only make things worse.

Nicholas: Satisfied with the result, but if we give stronger opposition than Forest that many chances, we’ll be in trouble. The discipline problem is becoming a real concern.

Do Chelsea have a discipline problem?

This was one of the biggest talking points from fans and pundits alike after the match. When Gusto was sent off in the 87th minute, it had no bearing on the result but highlighted Chelsea's disciplinary issues.

That red card was Chelsea's fourth in six matches. Maresca was also banned for celebrating Estevao Willian's late winner against Liverpool before the international break, resulting in a one-match ban.

It was Chelsea's third red card in the Premier League this season, more than any other club. This is only the third time Chelsea have had three players sent off after eight matches, having done so in the 2001-02 and 2017-18 seasons.

Despite Maresca playing it down, Chelsea's discipline problem can be costly after causing defeat against Manchester United and Brighton, but not on this occasion.

Maresca must address this or risk it becoming a recurring issue. The squad, despite their talent, lack experience, and it was the Premier League's youngest XI of the season on Saturday.