TACTICAL REVIEW: HOW ENZO FERNANDEZ STUNNED MANCHESTER CITY AMID CHELSEA’S COACHING CHAOS
Enzo Fernandez rescues Chelsea at the Etihad as interim boss Calum McFarlane defies the odds against Pep Guardiola’s Man City.
Calum McFarlane, suddenly in charge at Chelsea, gave credit to his players after they fought through a chaotic week and managed to grab a surprising draw at Manchester City.
Enzo Fernandez saved Chelsea with a stoppage-time equalizer, just weeks after the shock of manager Enzo Maresca leaving on New Year’s Day. That late goal dented City’s push for the title at the Etihad.
City looked like they’d done enough for the win after Tijjani Reijnders scored, which could have closed the gap to Arsenal at the top to four points. But Chelsea hung on, kept grinding, and walked away with a point—the game finished 1-1.
McFarlane, the club’s under-21 coach, found himself thrown into the spotlight as interim boss. It looks like he’ll step aside soon, with Liam Rosenior expected to take over before Chelsea’s trip to Fulham on Wednesday.
Rosenior, who’s been coaching at Strasbourg (Chelsea’s sister club), reportedly flew to London for an interview. Chelsea, as usual, kept quiet about the rumors.
McFarlane handled the pressure well, going up against Pep Guardiola—a man with a trophy cabinet most managers can only dream about. But McFarlane didn’t want the spotlight. He wanted the players to get their due.
“There’s been a lot of upheaval,” McFarlane said. “Enzo did really well with this group, so some of the guys were stunned when he left.
“The way they’ve all responded these last couple days, and again today—Reece, Tosin, and Enzo—they’ve pulled the team together.
“Honestly, everyone expected us to lose today. No one gave us a shot.
“But we always believed in the character and talent in this squad, and they proved it. I can’t say enough about this group.”
Some think McFarlane might be headed to Strasbourg if Rosenior comes to Chelsea, but he brushed that off.
“That’s news to me,” he said. “No one’s told me anything about that.
“When I took this on, all I knew was I’d be managing for the Manchester City game.
“Now, there’s a real chance the new manager’s in by Monday.”
The city’s result just adds to a rough week after their draw at Sunderland. They’re now six points behind Arsenal, and injuries are piling up. Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias both picked up knocks, joining John Stones on the sidelines.
Guardiola sounded frustrated. “We’re missing a lot of players. Stones has been out for who knows how long. Ruben’s now out, Josko too, and Nathan Ake can’t play every match.
“That’s the situation—just got to stay strong and find a way. The spirit’s still there.”
When someone asked if City might sign a new defender, Guardiola didn’t sound convinced. “I don’t think so, but who knows?”
For him, the real problem was City’s finishing.
“We did everything right—except score that second, third, or fourth goal,” he said. “In the second half, Chelsea had nothing to lose, and they got their reward right at the end.”
COLE PALMER MISSES PENALTY AS CHELSEA SUFFER HISTORIC SIXTH CONSECUTIVE LEAGUE DEFEAT
Chelsea matched a 1912 record with their 6th straight loss, falling 3-1 to Forest as Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice at the Bridge.
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Chelsea hit rock bottom again, losing 3-1 to Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge. That’s six Premier League defeats in a row now, something the club hadn’t seen since 1912. Just when you thought the season couldn’t get any worse, Forest showed up with a makeshift lineup and absolutely stunned them. Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice, one barely a minute into the match, and then Igor Jesus put away a penalty, and suddenly Forest was six points clear of the drop zone.
Chelsea hadn’t scored in five games, and it looked like that streak would go on forever. Then, in stoppage time, Joao Pedro finally managed an overhead kick to break the drought. That run was made even more ridiculous earlier when Cole Palmer missed a first-half penalty. Matz Sels, Forest’s backup goalkeeper, saved it.
Honestly, the crowd in the Shed End probably barely recognised their own team. Pereira swapped in seven new outfield players, most of them with almost no league experience; he was clearly thinking about the upcoming Europa League semi-final. But it looked like Chelsea was the stranger out there.
Things only got worse for interim head coach Calum McFarlane. He lost Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho to late injuries, so 18-year-old Jesse Derry had to make his Premier League debut. Then, late in the first half, Derry collided heads with Forest’s Zach Abbott and had to be stretchered off after getting oxygen. It was brutal to watch.
The match itself? Chaos. Less than two minutes in, Chelsea messed up their own throw-in and let Forest stroll through midfield. Dilane Bakwa beat Marc Cucurella with little effort and crossed to Awoniyi, who was completely unmarked and headed it in.
Fifteen minutes later, Chelsea conceded again. Bakwa whipped in another cross; Malo Gusto pulled Awoniyi’s shirt, and VAR handed Forest a penalty. Jesus hammered it right down the middle.
The first half was hopeless, and by the end, serious concern set in after that nasty head clash between Derry and Abbott. Abbott, playing just his second league game, left on his own, but Derry needed serious treatment and was stretchered off.
After a nearly ten-minute stoppage, Palmer’s penalty was stopped by Sels. At halftime, Levi Colwill returned from a major injury he hadn’t played since tearing his ACL in August. He tried to restore order, but nothing changed.
Forest’s third goal came just seven minutes into the second half. Gibbs-White crossed, and Awoniyi tapped in from close range, just managing to stay onside. Chelsea’s keeper, Robert Sanchez, took a knock and left with a bandaged head after colliding with Gibbs-White.
Pedro’s late goal barely counted for anything. The few Chelsea fans left in the stadium cheered, but it was more out of irony than joy.
JESSE DERRY MAKES FIRST CHELSEA START AS MCFARLANE SHUFFLES THE TACTICAL DECK
Chelsea stars Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto miss the Forest clash with knocks, handing 18-year-old Jesse Derry a shock start.
Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto both picked up knocks before Chelsea’s match against Nottingham StadiumNest has learnt. They’d started in last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final, but both missed out on the squad at Stamford Bridge this time.
Calum McFarlane spoke to Sky Sports before kickoff and explained what happened. “It’s nothing serious, just knocks in training. We’re just managing it,” he said.
With them out, Jesse Derry and Cole Palmer came into the starting lineup. Derry, just 18 and only recently breaking into the Chelsea first team, now had a big chance. McFarlane spoke highly of him: “It’s a great opportunity for Jesse. He’s been training with us a lot, he’s played in other games, and we know what he can do. I’ve worked with him before. The lads trust him, and so do I. He’s been excellent in training. We’re really excited for him.”
On Friday at Cobham, Chelsea’s interim boss said the win at Wembley lifted everyone’s mood. “When things aren’t going well, it’s tough. You're not getting the results you want, and it weighs on you. But a single win can turn all that around. The atmosphere has been good, the lads are training well, and the staff feel it too. The energy’s back at Cobham, so we want to keep that going.”
Now, at 38, McFarlane takes charge for the first time at Stamford Bridge. “I’m really looking forward to it. Forest is a strong side, and it’ll be tough, but it’s an honour to lead the team here. I’ve been part of the backroom staff before, but this is something different. Leading the side in front of the home fans? That’s special. I hope we can put in a performance as we did at Wembley.”
He knows the crowd has a big part to play. “We need the fans behind us, bringing energy and really backing the team. There’s still so much to play for; the cup final’s coming, and Champions League qualification is up for grabs. We want to win every game left. Two more at the Bridge, right? We want to make them count, so we need everyone pulling together.”
Chelsea fell behind in the race for the Champions League under Liam Rosenior, dropping 10 points off the pace. Is top-four still possible? McFarlane kept it simple: “All we can do is win our games and not worry about the rest. If we focus on our own performance, the results will take care of themselves. It’s about each match, each day, each session.”
Forest, fresh off a 1-0 first-leg win over Aston Villa in the Europa League semi-finals, is no easy opponent. McFarlane knows that. “They’re in really good form, packed with quality and real threats. So, it’s another huge challenge, just like every Premier League game. But we’ll be ready.”
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