Chris Wood scored the goal but 44-touch player was Nottingham Forest's hero vs Chelsea - opinion
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Nottingham Forest drew 1-1 with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and there were some top performers wearing the Garibaldi in West London.
Chris Wood added a fourth goal to his tally for the 2024/25 campaign with a well-taken finish following a Nikola Milenkovic knockdown.
Forest didn’t lead for long though sadly, with Noni Madueke scoring a curling effort to restore parity for a Chelsea team who have been in the goals this season.
Wood naturally takes some of the plaudits for his latest goal and who knows where Forest would be without the New Zealand captain.
Defensively Forest were sound too, with Milenkovic proving once again to be a steal and Murillo showing some good moments too.
The Reds stood up to the test of time with 13 extra minutes played by referee Chris Kavanagh following lengthy treatment for Morgan Gibbs-White.
Nottingham Forest hero proves his worth during draw vs Chelsea
Much has been made of the goalkeeping situation at Forest, with all eyes on Matz Sels in recent weeks.
Many had called for Carlos Miguel to come into the fold after some small errors began to creep into the game of Sels.
However, against Chelsea, Sels proved what a sound goalkeeper he can be at this level and showed a desire to pick up his performance level.
Sels made a ridiculously good double save from Cole Palmer and a save later on from a Madueke header will surely be up for Save of the Month.
The 32-year-old was signed from Strasbourg for a fee of £5 million in the January transfer window and has faced scrutiny from some supporters ever since.
Who Scored showcased what Sels did well against Chelsea. He had 44 touches of the ball and perhaps more crucially, he made seven saves!
Sels showcased that he wants to keep the gloves at Forest this season and perhaps now some of the critique can stop being thrown at the Belgian.
Forest will need to address goalkeeper situation in the future
Forest were linked with a move for Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher in the transfer window but nothing transpired.
It does prove, however, that the Reds are keen to get themselves a long-term option between the posts.
Sels is not really a long-term fix in goal even if he is capable of doing a job for the team right now.
- READ MORE: £5m player spotted limping after Forest draw
Miguel might have been signed with the future in mind when Sels does eventually move on but another goalkeeper will surely be sought.
Sels deserves his moment in the sun after the draw with Chelsea and Forest can count their lucky stars that the big man was in fine form at Stamford Bridge.
Having gone through a number of goalkeepers since returning to the Premier League, the club has to make sure they get it right with the next signing of a custodian in the future.
