Nottingham Forest fires Postecoglou after Chelsea’s three-goal blitz

Forest Sacks Postecoglou After Chelsea’s 3-0 Rout

Nottingham Forest have dismissed Australian coach Ange Postecoglou immediately after a 0-3 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday, in the eighth round of the English Premier League.

Nottingham, sitting 17th in the table, said in a statement that a string of results and disappointing performances left them with no option but to part ways with Postecoglou with immediate effect.

Postecoglou, who took charge just over a month and a half earlier, had not registered a win in eight matches across all competitions.

The club added that there would be no further comment at this time.

Owner Evangelos Marinakis had already left his seat after Chelsea's second goal, and the decision to sack the former Tottenham boss was confirmed shortly after.

Postecoglou had been appointed on September 9 after being dismissed by Tottenham, despite guiding them to the Europa League title, but a slide in league form proved costly.

Forest are now searching for their third manager this season, with reports suggesting Sean Dyche as the leading candidate to take the reins.

Chelsea's goals came through Josh Achimbong, Pedro Neto and Reece James in the 49th, 52nd and 84th minutes respectively, lifting the Blues to 14 points and into fourth, while Forest remained on five in 17th.

Chelsea's coach Enzo Maresca was absent from the touchline due to a sending-off in the previous round, with Willy Caballero taking charge in his stead.

Chelsea lined up with goalkeeper Robert Sánchez and a frontline including James, Achimbong, Chalobah, Cucurea, Joao Pedro, Andre Santos, Garnacho, Neto, Milinkovic and Gibbs-White.

Meanwhile, Nottingham's lineup featured Mats Sels, Williams, Milenkovic, Morato, Morio, Zinchinco, Anderson, Sanguari, David Luiz, Ionié and Gibbs-White.

Blue hue fades as Forest fail to spark

The opening minutes offered a golden chance for the home side, but Onyii (Iyoni) shot narrowly wide after a set-piece move.

Forest pressed again, but a lack of cutting edge prevented a sustained threat on Sels’s goal.

Moments later, Gibbs-White whipped in a dangerous ball from the left edge of the box, but the finish drifted just past the post.

Then, a follow-up from the same player fizzled wide after a glancing header at the near post.

Chelsea created a first clear opportunity via a James free-kick which Sels saved superbly, before João Pedro forced a reflex save from the keeper at close range.

A moment of threat for Forest arrived when Ntɔ struck a follow-up effort as a cross from the left was met at the edge of the area, but it cleared the crossbar.

The first half ended goalless, with Chelsea showing more intent, but Forest holding firm until the break.

Storming start to the second half and decisive goals

Early in the second period, Chelsea broke the deadlock when Achimbong guided a headed finish home from Neto's cross, putting the visitors ahead.

Only three minutes later, Chelsea doubled their lead as a free-kick from James found Neto, whose shot beat Sels after a deflection off the goalkeeper's arm.

Postecoglou responded with substitutions, including Ongs on for Onyii as he sought a way back into the match.

Within minutes, Chelsea threatened again as a testing ball from Neto found Joao Pedro, whose effort was saved by Sels.

With the game slipping away, Chelsea continued to press and added a third late on when James struck from inside the box after a square pass from the right, sealing the 3-0 win.

Moments later, Gusto’s foul on Williams earned a second yellow for the Chelsea substitute, reducing Forest to ten men late on.

Key numbers and aftermath

Opta/Skorka data highlighted Forest's vulnerability to free-kicks, with ten goals conceded from set-pieces since Postecoglou’s arrival, a figure unmatched by any other Premier League side during that period.

Since the start of the 2023-24 season, no manager has seen more goals conceded by their team in the first 10 minutes of the second half than Postecoglou (16 goals) in the Premier League.

Achtim Bong scored his first professional goal in the fixture, while Neto and James joined him on a growing Chelsea crop of young scorers in the Premier League era's modern era for a single season—something not seen since 1998-1999.

Statistical notes also revealed Neto's goal involvement in a single league match for the second time in his career, with the first coming against Southampton last season at Stamford Bridge.

James's goal marked his 200th Chelsea appearance, and the red card for Gusto added to a growing trend of discipline concerns for Chelsea in late matches.

In the broader context, Forest are left searching for stability as they navigate a tricky campaign and potential changes loom at board level.

Punchline time: If coaching were a desert, Forest just ordered a mirage—plenty of ambition, but the water keeps evaporating. Punchline two: Forest’s manager merry-go-round is faster than a winger sprinting to recover a misplaced pass—at least the popcorn is cheap when you’re watching the show.