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Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi scored a brace for Nottingham Forest as they claimed a 3-1 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nottingham Forest has a crucial Europa League semifinal second leg coming up against Aston Villa on Thursday, so their Premier League tie against Chelsea was moved to 3 PM on Monday.
Awoniyi got a rare start as coach Vitor Pereira rotated his squad to keep his players fresh for Thursday. However, Ola Aina was ruled out due to an injury.
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The Tricky Trees could not have asked for a better start to the game, as they scored twice in the opening 15 minutes courtesy of strikes from Awoniyi and Igor Jesus.
Awoniyi first opened the account with a clinical header off a cross from Dilane Bakwa. Then, he forced a penalty, which Jesus converted.
The Blues did not show much bite in the final third; however, they won a fortuitous penalty just before the break. Jesse Derry was clattered into and left unconscious in the penalty box. Cole Palmer took charge of the situation, but his strike was saved by Matz Sels.
In the second half, the Blues dominated possession in an attempt to get on the scoresheet, but they did not look convincing enough in the box.
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Forest would later catch them out again after a brilliant counter in the 52nd minute. This time, it was Awoniyi who doubled his tally, getting on the end of an accurate square ball from Morgan Gibbs-White to tap the ball in from close range and make it 3-0.
Joao Pedro thought he had pulled one back for the Blues in the 73rd minute after converting an effort from close range, but it was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
The Tricky Trees' backline was eventually breached in stoppage time after a stupendous overhead scissor kick from Pedro. However, it was too little, too late, as Nottingham Forest walked away with the maximum three points.
The victory takes Nottingham Forest to 16th in the table, with 42 points after 35 games. With three matches remaining, they sit six points above the relegation zone; as such, it is nearly impossible for them to be relegated at this stage.
Taiwo Awoniyi's Impressive Showing Against Chelsea
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Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi had a brilliant showing for Nottingham Forest against Chelsea. Aside from his goals, his link-up play was exceptional; he used the ball very well whenever he had possession and hardly put a foot wrong all afternoon.
On a personal note, it was a landmark game for him, marking his 100th appearance in a Nottingham Forest jersey.
His brace against the Blues was his first since May 2023. Interestingly, his last brace also came against Chelsea.
The Nigerian striker has proven that during this period of the season, he knows how to turn up the heat and deliver for his team consistently.
Awoniyi will be hoping to maintain this form and end the campaign on a high note.
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