Forest’s bright start fades as six-minute storm sparks Postecoglou’s abrupt exit

Nottingham Forest fell 3-0 to Chelsea at the City Ground, a defeat shaped not by a poor opening but by six brutal minutes after the interval. Ange Postecoglou’s side had looked the sharper before the break; instead, two quickfire goals from Josh Acheampong and Pedro Neto flipped the afternoon before Reece James confirmed the loss.

Within minutes of full time Forest dismissed Postecoglou after an eighth winless match in a 39-day tenure. Owner Evangelos Marinakis had already left his seat around 15 minutes into the second half, and by the end boos greeted the final whistle as results elsewhere dropped Forest into the bottom three.

A brave selection and an energised opening without reward

Postecoglou asked his team to give the City Ground something to build energy around, and the players responded early. Taiwo Awoniyi, starting for the first time since a serious abdominal injury and an induced coma last season, became the target of direct balls; inside a minute he scuffed a presentable chance.

Elliot Anderson slipped at the vital moment after chopping inside Josh Acheampong, while Morgan Gibbs-White twice threatened, once flashing wide after Romeo Lavia failed to trap a square pass. Forest had Chelsea uncomfortable and the crowd invested—only the finish was missing.

Six minutes that undid everything

Chelsea, poor before half-time, were transformed by a triple change that included Moises Caicedo. Immediately after the restart Neto tore down the left and crossed; with Murillo sucked towards Marc Guiu, Acheampong was left unmarked to head beyond Matz Sels.

Three minutes later, Neto curled a free-kick around the wall and past an unsighted Sels. Postecoglou moved quickly to introduce Callum Hudson-Odoi, but the decision drew chants of "you don’t know what you are doing" from parts of the home support as the mood darkened.

Fine margins, set-piece pain, and a killer third

Even at 2-0 down, Forest created the moments that could have hauled them back. On the hour Neco Williams volleyed over when unmarked in front of goal; later, substitute Igor Jesus crashed a shot against the bar and post in one agonising sequence.

Instead, Chelsea struck again from a set-piece phase. Reece James drilled home late on after a corner and imperfect clearance, and although Malo Gusto was dismissed for a second yellow card, the contest was gone. The margin felt harsh given Forest’s first-half control, but set-piece lapses proved decisive.

Owner walks, manager goes, and the inquest begins

Marinakis left the directors’ box with the score at 2-0 and, within minutes of the final whistle, Forest confirmed Postecoglou’s departure—the second-shortest managerial spell in Premier League history. The players then held a lengthy, players-only dressing-room discussion as the scale of the challenge came into focus.

Sky Sports’ Clinton Morrison summed up the mood: eight without a win is nowhere near good enough, clean sheets have vanished, and chances are being missed. With Porto due in the Europa League and a trip to Bournemouth to follow, Forest must quickly tighten up at set plays and rediscover a cutting edge to turn promise into points.