In-form Taiwo Awoniyi says Nottingham Woodland have “two cup finals” left to store their Premier League situation then his two targets earned a reliable level in opposition to Chelsea.

Raheem Sterling equalised then the crack by means of sweeping house Trevoh Chalobah’s cutback later seven mins after the England ahead became inside of Felipe and curled the ball past Keylor Navas.

However Frank Lampard’s facet led for simply 4 mins as Nigeria striker Awoniyi flicked house Orel Mangala’s decorative lob to store an notable draw at Stamford Bridge.

It ended a run of 7 successive league away defeats for Steve Cooper’s males and leaves them 3 issues above third-bottom Leeds United with two video games difference.

Woodland have taken seven issues from their utmost 4 video games and are inside of touching distance of securing successive seasons within the manage aviation.

However Awoniyi, the primary Woodland participant to attain two targets in consecutive Premier League video games since Bryan Roy in 1995, maintains there’s nonetheless paintings to be carried out.

“We came here with spirit and togetherness and had a plan that worked. When they score two quick goals you feel bad, but we believed in ourselves and got the point,” mentioned the 25-year-old.

“We now have two finals to go, the next one is Arsenal and from there we will see what happens.”

Woodland, who had taken simply six away issues from a conceivable 51 this season sooner than the Chelsea recreation, face the title-chasing Gunners at house upcoming Saturday sooner than travelling to Crystal Palace at the ultimate hour.

The draw leaves Chelsea, now winless in seven house video games in all competitions, in eleventh and with the probability of enjoying 3 of the manage 4 inside of a era – Manchester Town, Manchester United and Newcastle United – to finish their calamitous season.

Chelsea should in finding proper mix

Chelsea’s season has had negligible using on it for greater than a life now, for the reason that gruesome run of effects all the way through the top of Graham Potter’s reign and the start of Lampard’s caretaker tenure.

A mid-table place for a squad that has had multi-million pound funding within the week two switch home windows is large under-achievement by means of any measure.

The draw in opposition to Woodland was once symptomatic of a chaotic season characterized by means of disjointed performances from a choice of extremely priced avid gamers but to be moulded right into a successful mix.

However generation few of the £550m virtue of signings made beneath the Todd Boehly regime had been an unqualified luck, the Blues have surely obtained a squad of significant skill with important attainable.

In a primary season to disregard beneath fresh possession, the Blues have given begins to 31 avid gamers within the manage aviation, probably the most of any membership, and feature made a league-high 128 adjustments to their foundation line-up.

Additional recruits may due to this fact appear to be unwise plethora, however in spite of their outlay, the squad nonetheless has patent weaknesses.

A real defensive midfielder to spouse Argentina conductor Enzo Fernandez would give much-needed stability generation a goalkeeper who imbues the defence with self belief instead than hesitation would building up steadiness on the again that was once lacking every time Woodland crossed the ball.

The desire for a goalscorer – Chelsea have scored best 36 occasions within the league this season – so as to add incisiveness was once once more demonstrated in opposition to Woodland, as Lampard pointedly famous.

“We were too slow in the first half at the top end. Too sideways and safe. That’s intrinsic in us – a lot of passes but not passes to break lines and threaten,” he mentioned.

“We need players who are willing and hungry to get in the box. Tactics are irrelevant if you don’t do it with pace. The difference with forward passes and forward runs was there to see.

“It doesn’t rely for a lot should you aren’t medical. Raheem was once medical, some avid gamers are growing that a bit of.”

The return of Romelu Lukaku from his loan at Inter Milan may save Chelsea’s new manager another newcomer to integrate.

The identity of that new boss has yet to be confirmed, although former Tottenham Hotspur head coach Mauricio Pochettino has been heavily linked with the position.

What is clear is that the appointment must have the charisma and nous to manage such a large number of superstar players and strike the right alchemy between them.

Constancy to Cooper alike to reaping praise

The wisdom of Forest’s decision to stick with Cooper when all around them at the bottom were changing managers – sometimes more than once – will be determined with the outcome of their final two fixtures.

Before the Chelsea game, they had won two of their past three matches – but that was after going 11 without a victory, a period when the Forest board must have been tempted to make a change as all four clubs below them had.

Cooper has found a golden touch at just the right time. Forest have been lamentable in London this season, losing all five previous Premier League visits to the capital by a 16-2 aggregate.

But he turned that form around by frustrating the home side by recalling defender Joe Worrall in place of forward Brennan Johnson and switching to a back five.

His reward was real defensive resolve combined with an eagerness and ability – especially through the aerial prowess of Awoniyi – to capitalise on the weak points of the star-studded hosts.

One more victory, or even two draws, might well be enough to preserve their top-flight status and reward the Forest board for sticking with their man.

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