7-goal thriller ends in Chelsea defeat
On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 1987 Forest lose 4–3 at Chelsea after twice holding a two-goal lead.
Nottingham Forest suffered a painful 4-3 First Division defeat at Chelsea after twice looking in control at Stamford Bridge.
Forest made a flying start. Colin Foster headed them in front from a set-piece, and Nigel Clough quickly added a second after Neil Webb released him with a pass. Chelsea pulled one back, but Paul Wilkinson’s header restored the two-goal cushion and put Forest 3-1 ahead.
That should have been the platform for an impressive away win. Instead, the match turned into a seven-goal collapse, with Chelsea fighting back to win 4-3 and leave Brian Clough’s side with nothing from a game they had led 2-0 and 3-1.
For supporters, the frustration was obvious. Forest had shown attacking quality through Clough, Webb, Foster and Wilkinson, but the afternoon became remembered for the lead that slipped away. In a strong 1987-88 season, this stood out as one of the more dramatic and annoying defeats: a match full of goals, but shaped by the damage of losing control.
Sources
11v11; Chelsea official site; Stamford-Bridge.com
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