Taiwo Awoniyi celebrated his 100th appearance for Nottingham Forest in style, scoring twice in a commanding 3–1 victory over Chelsea FC at Stamford Bridge on Monday.
The Super Eagles striker delivered his first brace since 2023, coincidentally also against Chelsea, as Forest boosted their survival hopes with a crucial away win.
Forest made a dream start, taking the lead just 98 seconds into the match. Awoniyi rose to meet a pinpoint cross from Dilane Bakwa, heading home to stun the home crowd.
The visitors doubled their advantage in the 15th minute after Awoniyi was brought down in the box by Malo Gusto. Following a VAR review, the penalty was awarded and calmly converted by Igor Jesus to make it 2–0.
Chelsea had a chance to respond before halftime when they were awarded a penalty after a collision involving Jesse Derry and Zach Abbott. However, Cole Palmer missed from the spot, compounding a frustrating first half for the hosts.
In the second half, Forest maintained control, and their dominance paid off again when Morgan Gibbs-White set up Awoniyi for his second of the night. The striker tapped in from close range to extend the lead to 3–0.
Chelsea thought they had pulled one back through João Pedro in the 73rd minute, but the effort was ruled out for offside. The Brazilian eventually scored with a spectacular bicycle kick in stoppage time, but it proved to be nothing more than a consolation.
The victory lifts Nottingham Forest six points clear of the relegation zone with just three matches remaining, extending their unbeaten run to 10 games across all competitions.
For Chelsea, the defeat effectively ends their hopes of a top-five finish, leaving them 10 points adrift of Aston Villa with only three games left to play.
Forest will now turn their attention to European action, as they prepare for a decisive second-leg clash against Aston Villa in the Europa League semifinal. Holding a 1–0 advantage from the first leg, a draw at Villa Park would be enough to secure a place in the final.
