plethora of changes were inevitable when Chelsea hosted League Two battlers Wimbledon in their EFL Cup opener – entering at the second round due to the absence of European football – but despite the array of young talent on the field, the Blues were stunned by an early James Tilley penalty.
However, Noni Madueke’s own spot kick on the stroke of half time restored parity for Chelsea, who were forced to send on some of the big guns in the second half, but Pochettino’s troops eventually got the job done thanks to an Enzo Fernandez winner.
While Chelsea made hard work of their EFL Cup tie, the manner of their first Premier League win of the season over Luton Town was far more emphatic – once they lit the blue touch paper at least – as Raheem Sterling netted twice and set up Nicolas Jackson during a scintillating individual performance.
A four-point haul from their opening three games as Chelsea lying smack-bang in the middle of the table in 10th place – an all too familiar sight from last season – but by hitting the Hatters for three without reply, the Blues ended a miserable eight-match streak without a home win in the Premier League.
Keeping out Rob Edwards’s side also saw Chelsea record their first Premier League clean sheet since April, while they have navigated each of their last four Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge without suffering defeat, but two Big Six teams have already had to survive scares against their upcoming visitors this term.
After giving Arsenal a good run for their money and leaving it late to see off newly-promoted Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest were in dreamland at the Theatre of Dreams last weekend, storming into a two-goal lead against Manchester United thanks to Taiwo Awoniyi’s finish and Willy Boly’s header.
Steve Cooper’s men became the first team to ever take a 2-0 lead against Man United within the opening four minutes of a Premier League game, but their master plan was soon foiled by the resurgent Red Devils, who drew themselves level through Christian Eriksen and Casemiro before Joe Worrall was sent for an early bath.
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The 10 men of Forest did all they could to keep Man United at bay, but after Danilo was penalised for felling Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes completed a sensational Red Devils comeback, before Cooper’s side also succumbed to a late Zeki Amdouni winner in the EFL Cup versus Burnley.
At face value, three defeats from their opening four games of the new season is an unsightly record indeed, but the Tricky Trees – who occupy 14th place in the table – could leave the Emirates and Old Trafford patting themselves on the back.
Forest also held Chelsea to a pair of stalemates in the 2022-23 Premier League season – coming away from Stamford Bridge with a 2-2 draw to their name – but their abysmal road record now reads no wins from their last 12 top-flight games on rival turf, despite scoring in each of their last six such matches.
