One triumph at Stamford Bridge in its last 10 games. That is where Chelsea Football Club are at the moment. On a sunny Saturday afternoon in west London, Mauricio Pochettino’s Blues looked like the same old team fans have been accustomed to over the last year or so. Loads of possession. Toothless in attack.
There is simply zero connectivity in the areas of the pitch that mattered the most. No matter how much money the ownership seems to spend, finishing product is consistently absent from the equation. The stability of the Nottingham Forest backline is something that cannot get overlooked. Forest captain Joe Worrall along with Willy Boly were sensational in the backline for the away side.
Patience is key, especially at the early stage of this project. That is not an excuse for that kind of display. The lineup was predictable, and even with Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke making somewhat of a difference late on, Forest had Pochettino’s attacking approach completely figured out. Steve Copper’s set-up with five in the back out of possession caused hesitancy by the forwards and midfielders donning the Chelsea blue. It leaves a whole lot to ponder until the west Londoners take the pitch again on September 17 away at Bournemouth. Here are three of the players that disappointed at the Bridge in the west Londoners’ second defeat in four contests.
3 Chelsea stars who let side down in listless home defeat
3. Nicolas Jackson
Nobody that entered the pitch had more shots than the Senegalese attacker. The only problem, none of this efforts forced Matt Turner into making a save. Though he created chances with his elusive on-ball footwork, there was no end product.
Many thought that the former Villarreal man broke through when he found the back of the net against Luton Town to open up his account in west London. That does not seem to be the case. For players as young as Jackson, there are going to be those ups and downs. The talent is present. It may just take some time for him to find that consistency in a league as tough as the English top-flight.
The 22-year-old had the opportunity of the match, wasting Raheem Sterling’s work to get the ball into the teeth of the Forest defense. That lunge at the ball summed up the day for the Blues. There are plenty of positives from his play so far this season, but if he is going to act as that No. 9, the results need to improve. Armando Broja is still rehabbing from his injury, and with the potential of his inclusion soon, the Blues’ No. 15 could move out wide. His next game in Chelsea colors is not for a while, providing him the time to reset before a vital contest on the road.
2. Moisés Caicedo
It was not all bad from the west Londoner’s record signing, but his blunder was arguably at fault for the goal that decided the contest. At 21 years old, the Ecuadoran has plenty of room to grow as a midfielder. He is one of the most vital pieces going forward for the west London outfit. That is not a question. Just sometimes, one mistake can change the game. That ended up being his own. Better days are ahead for the young midfielder.
There were times when he hustled back to make an impressive tackle, but in other instances, the opposition took the ball right under his feet. Only Jackson had more mis-controls than the former Brighton and Hove Albion man. Following an unpleasant beginning to his career in the English capital, Caicedo is forced to reset. He will travel down to South America for two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against defending World Cup champions Argentina and Uruguay a few days later.
1. Ben Chilwell
Even as someone who is a massive Ben Chilwell fan, it was clear his display against Forest was not one of quality. In just 61 minutes between the white lines, the former Leicester City defender completed just under 46 percent of his passes, the worst of any Blue. In addition, he was dispossessed the second most of any west Londoner.
Given the formation that the Argentine manager has deployed, the Englishmen just did not seem comfortable. His leadership, and dedication to the club has been remarkable. It is not a matter of sitting the player on the bench. A move into more of a traditional left back may be the solution in order to improve his performances drastically.
Right from the off, the west London outfit attempted to find No. 21 down the flank. That try failed as his first touch let him down. The Blues’ co-captain was one of three individual’s booked as the frustration of losing the the ball got the best of him.