In a thrilling encounter, Chelsea surprised Nottingham Forest early on by finding the opening goal. Just eight minutes into the game, Palmer showcased his vision with a clever through ball, providing Mudryk with the opportunity to penetrate the penalty area and calmly slot the ball past goalkeeper Matz Sels.

However, Chelsea’s joy was short-lived. Nottingham Forest wasted no time in leveling the playing field. In the 16th minute, Jackson’s poor marking allowed Willy Boly to comfortably head the ball, which deflected off Gallagher’s foot, leaving goalkeeper Petrovic helpless.

The second half witnessed an exhilarating back-and-forth battle. Within the span of four minutes, from the 53rd to the 57th minute, the woodwork came to Chelsea’s rescue three times. Sandwiched in between was a moment where Thiago Silva’s header hit the crossbar of Nottingham Forest’s goal in the 63rd minute.

By the 74th minute, Hudson Odoi, a former Chelsea player, dribbled and unleashed a fierce shot to put Nottingham Forest ahead. However, Chelsea swiftly turned the tide within just two minutes from the 80th to the 82nd, with two consecutive goals courtesy of Sterling and Jackson. In the remaining moments, Nottingham Forest failed to find an equalizer.

In a dramatic victory, Chelsea secured three points, bringing their total to 57 points after 36 matches. “The Blues” currently sit seventh in the Premier League standings, level on points with Newcastle and three points ahead of Manchester United in the race for European qualification. In their upcoming 37th fixture, “The Red Devils” face a high-risk situation as they host Arsenal, a team eager for three points to contend for the title against Manchester City.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest’s defeat to Chelsea means they have yet to secure their Premier League survival. They currently occupy 17th place with 29 points, holding a three-point advantage over Luton Town with a superior goal difference (-19 compared to -31). The team at the City Ground is poised to remain in the Premier League next season.

Final score: Nottingham Forest 2-3 Chelsea (Half-time: 1-1)

Goals:

Nottingham Forest: Boly 16′, Hudson Odoi 74′

Chelsea: Mudryk 8′, Sterling 80′, Jackson 82′

Starting lineups:

Nottingham Forest: Sels, Montiel, Boly, Murillo, Niakhate, Aina, Gibbs-White, Yates, Danilo, Hudson-Odoi, Wood.

Chelsea: Petrovic, Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Badiashile, Cucurella, Caicedo, Gallagher, Madueke, Palmer, Mudryk, Jackson.

Match statistics:

Shots (on target): 20 (4) – Nottingham Forest; 12 (5) – Chelsea Ball possession: 32% – Nottingham Forest; 68% – Chelsea Fouls: 14 – Nottingham Forest; 8 – Chelsea Yellow cards: 2 – Nottingham Forest; 3 – Chelsea Red cards: 0 – Both teams Offsides: 3 – Nottingham Forest; 1 – Chelsea Corners: 5 – Nottingham Forest; 6 – Chelsea Saves: 2 – Nottingham Forest; 2 – Chelsea