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2023/24 English Premier League
Matchday 4
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest
Stamford Bridge
London, England
Saturday, 2 September 2023
Kick-off is at 16h00
Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino will be wary of the threat posed by Nottingham Forest when they lock horns at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, September 2.
The Reds raced into a two-goal lead against Manchester United at Old Trafford on August 26, with Taiwo Awoniyi opening the scoring after just two minutes before Willy Boly doubled their advantage on four minutes.
However, Steve Cooper's side retreated into their shell and allowed United to come at them, which ultimately proved costly as they ended up losing 3-2.
Forest picked up their first win of the new season against Sheffield United (2-1) eight days earlier, having lost to Arsenal by the same scoreline on the opening weekend.
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The Blues finally got their campaign up and running with a 3-0 victory over newly-promoted Luton on August 25 after collecting just one point from their first two matches under Pochettino.
The Argentine's tenure began with a 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool before slumping to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of London rivals West Ham.
Pochettino will be hoping to get the best of out Raheem Sterling, who struggled in his first season at the Bridge after making the switch from Manchester City in July 2022. The England international has looked much sharper in the opening three games and opened his account for the campaign with brace against the Blades.
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Awoniyi has continued where he left off last term, scoring in each of his first three appearances of 2023-24 to equal an African record for goals in consecutive Premier League games with seven. The Nigerian's pace and power is proving a real handful for defenders and he will now set his sights on Jamie Vardy's record of scoring in 11 starlight matches.
Pochettino declared himself pleased with Sterling's performances thus far and indicated that there's so much more to his game than just goals and assists.
"His commitment in the way he wants to contribute with the team, with his work ethic and quality, he deserves the full credit for his performance. We are very pleased and happy," the South American said.
"He has the quality and he can provide the team goals and assists. And when we don't have the ball, he works really hard to recover the ball as soon as possible. I'm so pleased for him.
"He told me last season was a difficult season for him, but I am very pleased when the player is happy. And when an offensive player can score or assist, for us it's the best feeling."
Cooper felt two keys decisions played a part in the loss at the Theatre of Dreams, with Joe Worrall receiving a straight red card for denying Bruno Fernandes a clear goalscoring opportunity in the 67th minute and Danilo conceding a penalty after he fouled Marcus Rashford less than 10 minutes later.
"I just think in games like these you need a bit, I don't even want to say good luck, to go your way, just things to go as they should," he said.
"I don't want to get myself in trouble but the one thing I am surprised about is how quickly the decisions were made. On decisions that can define a game you tend to see referees take a bit more time particularly at the top level.
"There was a decision to make that is plain to see. I was just surprised how quickly... It was split-second stuff. You just need things to go your way. I am biting my tongue, to be honest, in terms of what I really feel. Of course, they were defining moments in the game."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Chelsea - 2
Forest - 1
Draws - 2
Matchday 4 fixtures:
Friday, September 1
21h00: Luton Town v West Ham United
Saturday, September 2
13h30: Sheffield United v Everton
16h00: Brentford v Bournemouth
16h00: Burnley v Tottenham Hotspur
16h00: Chelsea v Nottingham Forest
16h00: Manchester City v Fulham
18h30: Brighton & Hove Albion v Newcastle United
Sunday, September 3
15h00: Crystal Palace v Wolverhampton Wanderers
15h00: Liverpool v Aston Villa
17h30: Arsenal v Manchester United
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