Chelsea 1-1 Nottingham Forest: Blues positives and negatives

Chelsea's 5-match winning streak came to an end as Nottingham Forest secured a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. Chris Wood opened the scoring for the visitors early in the second half before Noni Madueke netted an equalizer for the Blues. Despite James Ward-Prowse’s second-half dismissal, Enzo Maresca's side could not find a winner. Thanks to favorable results elsewhere, Chelsea remains in the top four as the international break approaches.

Here are the positives and negatives from the match.

Positives

1. Robert Sanchez to the Rescue Again

It has been a topsy-turvy season for Spanish goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. While he was instrumental in Chelsea’s wins against Bournemouth and West Ham, last week’s victory over Brighton was marred by two goals that stemmed from his mistakes.

Even on Sunday, there were questions about whether he could have done more to prevent Wood's goal. However, Sanchez redeemed himself with several crucial saves in the second half, especially in the closing stages of the game. Nottingham Forest created some golden opportunities, including two chances from Neco Williams and one from Jota Silva but Sanchez made incredible stops to keep Chelsea in the contest.

2. Noni Madueke's Equalizer

Without his goal, Noni Madueke might have easily been listed among the negatives. On the bright side, he made several dangerous runs, often found brilliantly by Cole Palmer’s superb through balls. However, Madueke's decision-making was questionable at times, as he frequently opted to shoot rather than pass to teammates in better positions. Most of his efforts didn't even manage to win Chelsea a corner.

While it’s understandable to take such risks when the team is comfortably ahead, he must either be confident in his shot or assess if a teammate is in a better position before going for a goal.