Chelsea 1-1 Nottingham Forest: Blues positives and negatives

3. Chances Created

If not for Matz Sels, Chelsea might have easily claimed all three points. Although it was a relatively quiet game by Cole Palmer’s standards, he still had a solid performance, assisting Chelsea’s goal and showcasing his skill with a few shots that were saved by Sels.

Pedro Neto also delivered a fantastic cross to Joao Felix, but Felix’s header went wide. Later, Mykhailo Mudryk made a great run and delivered a pinpoint cross to Christopher Nkunku, only for his header to be saved. On another day, these chances could have gone in, and Chelsea fans would be having a different conversation.

Negatives

1. Misplaced Passes and Giveaways

Chelsea were often their own worst enemy, repeatedly losing the ball cheaply when they were on the verge of breaking through Nottingham Forest's defense. These giveaways allowed Forest to launch counterattacks, disrupting Chelsea’s momentum. Players must avoid these errors, especially when the team is searching for a goal or trying to take control of the match.

2. Corners Hitting the First Man

One of the most frustrating features of Chelsea’s play over the past few years has been their inability to clear the first man on corners. Despite the grumbles from fans, this issue persists, with opposition teams often using these poor set pieces to launch counterattacks, sometimes resulting in Chelsea players getting booked—or worse, conceding goals.

Ever since Bernardo Cueva was brought in, it was evident from the first preseason match that Chelsea was trying to move past this problem. However, on Sunday, several corners once again failed to clear the first man. Enzo Fernandez was guilty of this on successive occasions, and even Cole Palmer had a few poor deliveries. This highlights how much work Cueva still has ahead of him to improve Chelsea’s set-piece play.