Noni Madueke equalizes, but 10-man Nottingham Forest hold out against Chelsea | first division

Chelsea played for 26 minutes with an extra player, survived a massive fight, saw João Félix parry an unmissable late header and saw two brilliant saves deny goal machine Cole Palmer. Even after five wins in a row, there was nothing they could do to break Nottingham Forest's unbeaten record on their travels.

Two exceptional saves, one in each goal, during 14 minutes of stoppage time probably rightly ensured this high-octane match. first division The meeting even ended with honors. Even then, Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez did his best to keep out substitute Jota Silva's header as the clock ticked down in the thrilling 104th minute.

The latest drama had been sparked by the sacking of James Ward-Prowse. If the England international, who turns 30 next month, had the legs for a run with Nicolas Jackson from the halfway line in the 78th minute, they quickly disappeared from under him.

Deliberately catching the ball as it fell to the grass was the only way he could stop the attack. Chelsea The forward runs away. Ward-Prowse had almost moved further into the tunnel when he was shown the second yellow card.

It was a surprise that no one joined him for an early bath moments later. Neco Williams clipped Marc Cucurella's heels as they chased a loose ball and sent it flying towards Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca in the technical area.

Some 15 players and staff clashed with each other in angry protest, and although there were only two yellow cards, for the initial protagonists, the Football Association's investigations will continue given the magnitude of the incident. Chelsea's six yellow cards in total lead to an accusation of not controlling his players.

Before the expulsion, it had been an 11 against 11 match in every sense, in which the bearers of that number were the ones who did the most to decide the fate of the loot.

Chelsea's number 11 Noni Madueke spent the first half on a personal mission to find the back of the net. Within 10 minutes, he shot wide of the near post and fired a couple of hopeful shots inches off the crossbar.

This season, however, Forest has been a master of away robberies. just ask Southampton and Liverpool, and Murillo sensed his danger when he read a Palmer clearance at midfield, advanced and unleashed a 25-yard shot that Sánchez attentively palmed away.

With Chelsea's pace, Forest was always on the edge of the precipice. The visitors were confidently shooting the ball at the end of a goalless first half when Murillo made a momentary mistake. Madueke was there to push the ball away, run towards the line and dangerously cut in his cross.

Ola Aina's timely challenge took the sting out of Palmer's 10-yard shot, but it grazed Jackson's heels and hit the post, rolling along the goal line. Matz Sels, falling on his back, extended an arm to stop the ball with half its cross section inside the goal and sat unceremoniously on it.

There was still time for Ryan Yates to run unmarked 15 yards from the Chelsea goal and unleash a shot that would have burst the net if Levi Colwill's rather sturdier thigh had not stood impenetrably in the way.

So while it seemed inevitable that a goal would arrive soon, there were still questions about which path it would take.

Four minutes into the second half we had our answer. Nikola Milenkovic whipped in Ward-Prowse's free-kick from the edge of the center circle and Forest's number 11, Chris Wood, tipped the ball into the corner like the good old-fashioned centre-forward he loves to be.

Very different from the quicksilver Madueke, who if anything had tried too hard with his shot. However, in the 57th minute, Madueke showed all the indifference of a turkish olympic shooter To spot your target, pull the trigger and drill the ball unerringly into the coin-sized target just inside the far post.

Two minutes later, in a nod to his earlier lack of precision, Madueke tipped a much easier chance over the bar.

Chelsea looked favorites to win and the first time Jackson charged towards goal sparked another period of fascinating pinball in the Forest area, again with no one in blue able to deflect him.

He also seemed to be in a very direct mood and if Ward-Prowse had released him for a second time, Chelsea could be celebrating a sixth successive victory and Forest's run could have come to an end.

But the Premier League is never that simple, is it?