Matz Sels, trudging the length of the pitch, was one of the last Nottingham Forest players to approach the away end after the final whistle to offer his thanks to the travelling fans. But the goalkeeper still received one of the loudest ovations at Stamford Bridge.
An unmistakably determined, blood and thunder team performance had earned Forest a memorable point in south-west London, but nobody in the visitors’ ranks better personified the gritty determination and downright refusal to be beaten than the Belgium international.
Sels looked physically and emotionally drained, frazzled by a little over 14 minutes of time added on. Those in the away end will have felt the same.
But, as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side extended their unbeaten run away from home to six games — a sequence that stretches back to April and means only Frank Clark (59) has picked up more away points as a Premier League manager than Nuno’s 19 — Sels’ contribution was as much a catalyst for this latest positive outcome as anything.
This was a different kind of challenge. Prior to this game, no side had faced fewer shots on target in the Premier League than Forest and Manchester City (18). Forest’s average of three on-target shots faced per game represented their best start on this front since 2013-14. Nuno has made Forest more difficult to beat. They are one of the most defensively resolute sides in the Premier League and have conceded only six goals in seven outings.
But in at Stamford Bridge, Sels faced eight shots on target.
Sels denies Noni Madueke low down by the foot of the post (Clive Mason/Getty Images)
That was partly due to Forest being reduced to 10 men for the final 26 minutes, including 14 minutes of injury time, after James Ward-Prowse collected a second yellow card after, as Nuno put it, taking “one one for the team” by handling the ball to prevent Nicolas Jackson from striding clear. But Chelsea tested the goalkeeper consistently, and particularly in that frenzied finale to a gripping contest.
Sels was beaten only once. But that does not quite tell the full story.
His double save to keep out Cole Palmer was world class. Another to push away a diving header from substitute Christopher Nkunku was of the same quality. In all he made eight saves, seven of which were from attempts inside the box.
During that elongated injury time, he took a booking for taking his time over a free kick and ran the clock down a little more, wisely staying down after punching clear amid a melee of players.
“He kept us in the game with fantastic saves. (Robert) Sanchez also made some fantastic saves for Chelsea, but Matz did very well,” said Nuno. “To go away with something today, it was because Matz did so well for us.”
Last January, Forest made approaches for seven different goalkeepers before finally securing Sels in a £5million ($6.6m) move from Strasbourg. More recently, their list of targets in August included Aaron Ramsdale, Sam Johnstone, Neto and — for the second window running — Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher. Forest never reached the £30m valuation that Liverpool placed on their player.
They even seriously pondered an attempt to bring back their Championship play-off hero Brice Samba from Lens.
Sels dives to his right to turn away another Chelsea attempt (Benjamin Cremel/AFP via Getty Images)
Yet, amid it all, Sels’ value to this Forest side will have gone up significantly in every sense.
The 32-year-old has consistently been a steady, safe pair of hands but he and his opposite number, Sanchez, were both outstanding as the game reached a dramatic, emotionally draining climax. Sanchez’s brilliant stops to deny Neco Williams and Jota denied 10-man Forest an unlikely win.
When the transfer window closed, Nuno was happy to go into the season with Sels and Carlos Miguel, the 25-year-old Brazilian signed from Corinthians in July, as his two senior keepers, with Odi Vlachodimos sold to Newcastle for £20million and Matt Turner joining Crystal Palace on loan. And Sels is repaying his faith.
If his No 1 continues to perform at this level, Nuno may well be satisfied if the next window ends without further goalkeeper additions.
An injury to Morgan Gibbs-White, who limped off in the 76th minute with an ankle problem that could put his participation with England under threat — he will have a scan today — was the one major negative amid another encouraging away day for Forest. Losing him for any significant period of time would be a massive blow.
But while there is still room for improvement in outings back at the City Ground, Nuno has turned this Forest side into a streetwise, savvy and well organised outfit on the road. Previous Forest sides would have crumbled in these circumstances. This one almost won.
Forest had nine shots on target of their own on a day when Nuno and his staff got their tactical plan spot on, starting with a 4-2-3-1 formation in which both Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson had the freedom to roam to get on the ball.
Sels salutes the away support (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic were rock-solid in the heart of defence — and Murillo again almost conjured up a goal of the season contender, only to be denied by the brilliance of Sanchez.
Ola Aina was outstanding in his one-on-one defending, while Ryan Yates excelled with his destructive, combative nature, particularly after Forest were reduced to 10 men. Jota and Williams were superb off the bench. The moment Jota won possession before carrying the ball half the length of the pitch and winning a free kick earned one of the other big ovations from the away support.
Then there is Wood, who subtly guided the ball home after Milenkovic had headed down a Ward-Prowse free kick and continues to thrive. This was his fourth goal in seven league games.
The New Zealand international is now one of only five players to have scored 10 or more away goals in the top flight since the start of last season, alongside Erling Haaland (16), Matheus Cunha (11), Ollie Watkins (11) and Dominic Solanke (10).
In truth, you could heap praise on all 16 players who played a part for Forest as they secured a point that will ensure they head into the international break in the top half of the table. They are closer to the Champions League places (four points) than they are to the bottom three (seven points).
Nobody will be getting carried away yet, particularly if Gibbs-White is ruled out for any serious length of time.
But this was another performance that suggested Forest, under Nuno, are starting to look at home among this kind of company. And that, in Sels, they have a goalkeeper in whom they can trust.
(Top photo: Rene Nijhuis/MB Media/Getty Images)
