KIERAN GILL: Chelsea's woeful form has made Maresca look like a genius

For Chelsea, it is sixey football only, nothing sexy to see here.

Six successive league losses for the first time since 1993. Were it not for Joao Pedro’s bicycle kick amid nine minutes of stoppage time, they would have suffered all of those dreadful defeats without scoring for the first time in their 121-year history.

It was a fabulous finish from the 24-year-old Brazilian, his 20th strike of the campaign, which is a number that all ambitious forwards aspire to hit. However, it occurred inside of a half-empty Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s supporters had long vacated their seats by then to try to beat the queues at Fulham Broadway underground station, and it was hard to blame their apathy.

With each embarrassing outing, Enzo Maresca’s reputation is rising. He had Chelsea being chucked into title conversations, premature though that was. He had them involved in the Champions League chase, fifth at the time of his departure on New Year's Day.

At this rate, by the time Maresca takes over at Manchester City – as has been rumoured ever since he exited Chelsea – the Italian will practically resemble a more than adequate replacement for Pep Guardiola. His old club are making him look that good, because he somehow got a tune out of this group.

Instead, Chelsea's players spent periods of this 3-1 beating being told they resembled Tottenham Hotspur in disguise by the visiting Nottingham Forest fans at Stamford Bridge.

They knew what to do under Maresca. They did not, or did not want to know, under Liam Rosenior. The Englishman initially won four league games in a row, but was borrowing Maresca’s tactics, wary of trying to rip up the system that this team were used to.

Once he started introducing his own ideas with the odd midweek minus a match, Chelsea’s season took a downturn. Rosenior was sacked, and Calum McFarlane was hoisted in, the 38-year-old thrust into an unfortunate situation in a time of need.

Chelsea’s season now looks like it will come down to trying to win the FA Cup at Wembley on May 16, which would secure them Europa League football for next term. City may field a weakened side for that showpiece, given their involvement in the Premier League title race with Arsenal, but then, this was Forest’s B team that beat Chelsea with ease here, taking a 2-0 inside 15 minutes.

We can only wonder what Maresca makes of it all, watching from afar.

Palmer should fear his seat on the plane

Ask yourself: would you take Cole Palmer to the World Cup?

England manager Thomas Tuchel was here to take a look at the 23-year-old and what he witnessed was a half-hearted performance, of minimal impact, of moody body language, and a penalty which was saved by Matz Sels.

Palmer is clearly out of confidence, and while not being taken to the United States might only worsen his mood, he is hardly playing as if he deserves that call-up.

Two ex-Strasbourg stars blight Blues

Chelsea’s sister side Strasbourg inadvertently had a hand in this latest loss.

Forest signed Sels from the French club in 2024, and he saved Palmer’s penalty.

Forest also signed Dilane Bakwa from them in 2025, and it was his cross which led to Taiwo Awoniyi’s headed opener, then another cross which saw them win their spot-kick when Malo Gusto stupidly pulled Awoniyi’s shirt.

Awful luck for superb Derry

Jesse Derry was Chelsea’s best player up until the 18-year-old winger collided with Forest’s Zach Abbott, in what was a sickening head collision that left him being removed via a stretcher. We could hear the crack as they both crashed into each other.

At half-time, an ambulance pulled up outside of Stamford Bridge, and, with his family by his side, including his father, Shaun, he was taken to hospital to be checked over. As of Monday evening, we are told he was conscious, and talking.

Hopefully, we will see Derry again, because the teenager brought more invention to Chelsea’s left wing than we have seen from £40million summer signing Alejandro Garnacho, who McFarlane said picked up a problem in training the day prior to this defeat.