Anthony Elanga strikes to earn shock win for Nottingham Forest at Chelsea

If only there was an accountancy trick that could mask Chelsea’s awful numbers in front of goal. Somehow, despite spending £1bn on transfers since last year’s takeover by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, the Premier League’s strangest club are still coming up short during home games against opponents who refuse to make it easy for them to create chances.

Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard will all be familiar with the problems confronting Mauricio Pochettino. None of the Argentinian’s predecessors were able to solve the mystery of Chelsea’s struggles on home soil and Pochettino, who was outthought by Steve Cooper, looked short of answers as his new side fell to a deserved defeat to Nottingham Forest. Chelsea, who have four points from their first four games, could not complain after falling to a solitary goal from Anthony Elanga.

An opening that featured Ben Chilwell bursting into space on the left and almost finding Raheem Sterling at the far post would prove deceptively encouraging from Chelsea’s perspective. It was not long before familiar failings in the final third emerged, all that possession leading to little in the way of clear opportunities during a messy opening period, and it must have troubled Pochettino to see the belief drain from his side’s attacking play as they struggled to find ways to open up a committed, organised Forest back five.

Perhaps the best way of summing it up was that the main talking point during the interval centred around a fussy performance from the officials. There were angry howls from the home crowd when Tim Robinson, the referee, blew for half-time before Chelsea could take one final corner, while Pochettino seemed to spend most of the first half checking up on the Premier League’s law changes. Nicolas Jackson had picked up his third yellow card of the season for imploring Robinson to caution Ryan Yates after a foul by the Forest midfielder and the worry for Pochettino must have been that the disjointed nature of the game would suit the visitors.

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Chelsea had toiled from a creative perspective, their threat limited to Chilwell’s raids, a few driving runs from Sterling and a hopeful effort from long range from Enzo Fernández, and they did not look comfortable defending set pieces. Taiwo Awoniyi bullied Thiago Silva at times and the Forest striker twice went close during the first half, only to miss the target with both efforts as he attempted to punish Chelsea’s failure to clear free-kicks from Morgan Gibbs-White.

The sense was that Forest’s plan to absorb pressure and strike on the break was growing. Much is made of their frenzied activity in the transfer market – seven signings had arrived at the City Ground on deadline day – but it has not stopped Cooper from making sure that his players know how to do their jobs.

Raheem Sterling is tackled by Joe Worrall as Chelsea fail to break down a stubborn Nottingham Forest defence. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Chelsea lacked that cohesion. So much changed at Stamford Bridge during the summer and Forest would take take advantage of the uncertainty three minutes into the second half. There was a mix-up in midfield, Moisés Caicedo and Conor Gallagher taking in turns to squander possession, and Orel Mangala was able to make a crucial interception. The ball ran to Awoyini, he nutmegged Silva with a clever pass and Elanga, on for the injured Danilo, escaped Levi Colwill with a diagonal run before sliding a composed shot past Robert Sánchez.

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A hush descended in the home sections. Chelsea were stunned into a response, Caicedo threatening from the edge of the area, and Pochettino soon turned to his bench. Cole Palmer, signed from Manchester City for £42.5m on Friday, came on for Gallagher and tried to create in the No 10 position. Chilwell made way for Noni Madueke, who moved to the right and proceeded to get little change out of Ola Aina.

Forest continued to give little away, even after losing Serge Aurier to injury, and Pochettino shuffled the pack again. Off went the £115m Caiciedo; on came the £88.5m Mykhailo Mudryk. Ian Maatsen, who turned down a move to Burnley on deadline day, also entered the fray and was soon being knocked off the ball by Joe Worrall, who was having an outstanding game in the middle of Forest’s back three.

The worry for Forest, though, was that they had blown a 2-0 lead at Manchester United last weekend. Chelsea kept pushing and an equaliser looked certain when Sterling, running through on the right, pulled the ball back for Jackson. Nobody could quite believe it when the striker prodded over from three yards out. Sterling would also fire wide during the eight minutes of added time and there would soon be loud boos at the end.