Nuno must drop 5/10 Nottingham Forest ace

Nottingham Forest maintained their unbeaten away record in the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, securing a 1-1 draw at Chelsea this afternoon.

Chris Wood put Nuno Espírito Santo’s side ahead just minutes into the second half but were pegged back less than ten minutes later after Noni Maduele fired home for the hosts.

Both sides pushed on for a winner, but excellent saves from Matz Sels and Robert Sanchez in stoppage time saw the game end level, with both teams having to settle for a point.

The result takes Forest back into the top half of the table ahead of the second international break, with a tally of ten points from the opening seven games of the new campaign.

However, it was a day to forget for one first-team member who failed to make a positive impression on the meeting at Stamford Bridge, in just his fourth start for the club.

James Ward-Prowse’s stats against Chelsea

After joining on loan from West Ham United on deadline day, midfielder James Ward-Prowse arrived at the City Ground with high expectations of bolstering Nuno’s midfield.

However, up to now, he’s yet to make any sort of positive impact, with his latest display summing up his time in the East Midlands so far this season.

The 29-year-old was sent off for a second bookable offence after losing possession, before diving on the ball and handling the ball to prevent a counter-attack from Enzo Maresca’s side.

Whilst he undoubtedly took one for the team, the mistake was an avoidable one, but up until his dismissal, he failed to pull up any trees, looking lacklustre throughout.

Ward-Prowse lost possession 11 times in his 78 minutes on the pitch, committing two fouls and only winning 50% of his duels.

It was certainly an afternoon to forget for the loanee, who will now miss the meeting with Crystal Palace after the international break, with Nuno having a decision to make over who could replace the midfielder.

However, despite his display in the capital, one other Forest player endured a tricky afternoon, producing some stats just as poor as the dismissed loanee.

The man who was as bad as Ward-Prowse

Whilst Forest were defensively solid throughout the draw, left-back Alex Moreno struggled against the pace and direct nature of opposition winger Madueke – often coming out second best in the battle with the England international.

The Spaniard, who’s currently on loan from Aston Villa, has cemented his place at full-back in recent matches, but his display at Stamford Bridge this afternoon was arguably his worst since his move in the summer.

The 31-year-old managed just 40 touches during his display, a tally lower than goalkeeper Sels who registered 44 – an indication as to his lack of impact during the encounter.

He also only won 40% of his duels, whilst losing possession nine times and committing a foul as he looked unable to compete with the pace of Madueke.

The Chelsea wide man managed to dribble past him three times – including for their goal – unable to get close enough to the youngster, who was able to cut inside before firing home.

Whilst the point was a great result given the circumstances, Moreno failed to come away from the game with any plaudits, potentially putting his starting role at risk.

He was subsequently handed a 5/10 match rating by Nottinghamshire Live Forest correspondent Sarah Clapson, further highlighting his lack of positive impact during the draw.

As a result, Nuno could look to recall Neco Williams and switch Ola Aina back to a left-back role when his side face Oliver Glasner’s Palace in just over two weeks time.