Alan Smith slams ‘lazy’ Chelsea star for ‘calling his team’ against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest handed Chelsea yet another embarrassing defeat, with Alan Smith tearing into Malo Gusto for what he saw as “lazy” first-half defending.
A wildly changed Forest beat Chelsea
Chelsea’s season came to a dramatic end as Nottingham Forest won 3-1 at Stamford Bridge to condemn them to a sixth successive defeat in the Premier League.
It was already the club’s worst league performance since 1912 but just when it looked like there were no problems left for the visitors, a Forest-string XI arrived in west London and thrashed Chelsea with two goals from Taiwo Awoniyi – the first after 98 seconds – and an Igor Jesus penalty, as Vitor Pereira’s side moved six points clear of the relegation zone.
The Blues’ five-game drought almost reached six, beyond the point of credibility, when Joao Pedro’s header gave them their first league goal since March 4.
The insanity of that run was revealed earlier when Cole Palmer had a first-half penalty saved by stand-in goalkeeper Matz Sels.
The visiting supporters at the Shed End could be forgiven for not seeing their team. The seven players brought in by Pereira, a move no doubt made with Thursday’s Europa League final second leg in mind, had 11 league starts this season between them, but it was Chelsea who looked like strangers to each other.
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Interim manager Calum McFarlane has seen his hands tied by late injuries to Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho, meaning a Premier League start for 18-year-old Jesse Derry. As if things couldn’t get any worse, the teenager needed oxygen and was taken off with a serious head injury late in the first half after colliding with Forest’s Zach Abbott.
Alan Smith slams Gusto as “lazy”
Chelsea’s start was summed up when Awoniyi ran after Gusto, before the Chelsea defender grabbed the striker’s shirt. After Marc Cucurella’s one-sided decision was missed in the first two minutes, a different defender compounded the Blues’ problems 13 minutes later.
In his comments to Sky Sports, Alan Smith did not hold back. The former Premier League striker said it was “absurd” that Gusto chose to abuse Awoniyi, before describing him as “lazy” and concluding that it “cost his team” early on.
Jesus made no mistake, before Avoniyi added a third in the second half. Chelsea’s nightmare looked to be coming to an end after beating Leeds United in the FA Cup semi-finals last weekend, but that was just a false dawn.
Without a permanent manager and without a Premier League win in the last six games, things are looking very bad for the Blues.
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