Chelsea turned on the style in the second half to secure a dominant 3–0 win over Nottingham Forest in their Premier League encounter at the City Ground on Saturday.

The first half was largely uneventful, with both teams struggling to find their rhythm. Nottingham Forest’s Nigerian striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, had an early opportunity but dragged his effort wide, while Chelsea’s Andrey Santos and Pedro Neto both went close before halftime.

Manager Enzo Maresca’s tactical switch after the break proved decisive. His triple substitution — introducing Marc Guiu, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, and Moisés Caicedo — injected energy and creativity into Chelsea’s attack.

The breakthrough arrived in the 49th minute when 18-year-old Josh Acheampong powered home a header from Neto’s precise cross to open the scoring. Just three minutes later, Reece James split the defense with a clever through-ball to Neto, who calmly finished to make it 2–0.

Forest tried to mount a comeback, with Neco Williams firing wide from close range and Igor Jesus rattling the crossbar with a thunderous strike. But Chelsea remained composed and in control, dictating play with confidence.

Captain Reece James capped off a commanding team performance in the 84th minute, driving a low shot past the goalkeeper to seal the victory.

Chelsea’s only blemish came late in the game when Malo Gusto was shown a second yellow card and sent off, though the dismissal did little to dampen the visitors’ dominant afternoon.

The win extends Chelsea’s impressive run of form under Maresca and keeps them firmly in the hunt near the top of the Premier League table.