Chelsea 2-0 Nottingham Forest
by Amar Azam
at Stamford Bridge

FRANK LAMPARD’s Chelsea cruised into the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest today.

Midfielders Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ross Barkley scored the only goals of the match as the eight-time FA Cup winners saw off the Championship side.
 
Forest had two decisions from the video assistant referee go against them, but overall were bettered by the Premier League side. 

“I am pleased with the result,” said Lampard. “None of these games are easy. I am pleased with the approach in the first half. I wasn’t so pleased with the second half as I wanted us to kick on.

“We got our two goals and it was very comfortable but would’ve liked to have scored some more. This is the level we need to sustain if we want to get better.”
 
After a period of early pressure, the hosts breached Forest’s back line and Hudson-Odoi collected the ball inside the penalty area before cutting onto his left, wrong-footing defender Yuri Ribeiro before planting a low shot past goalkeeper Jordan Smith.
 
The visitors thought that they had been awarded a penalty on 24 minutes when defender Fikayo Tomori appeared to have tripped Alexander Mighten in the penalty area. But referee Peter Bankes, who initially pointed to the spot, consulted VAR which showed that the Forest striker was marginally offside.
 
Chelsea had chances to extend their lead in the first half — as Barkley had a powerful low shot saved by Smith and Michy Batshuayi came close with a headed effort — before Barkley added a second on 33 minutes, tapping in from close range after Smith diverted a shot from Hudson-Odoi into the path of the Chelsea midfielder.
 
Chelsea’s players emerged after the interval in positive mood and with little to suggest that Sabri Lamouchi’s men could mount a comeback, they could have scored more.
 
Barkley came close to extending the lead but his headed effort glanced off the post after a cross from Hudson-Odoi.
 
The threat from Forest, fourth in the Championship, diminished as the second half wore on. 
 
But they did have a goal ruled out for offside after Ryan Yates appeared to have pulled one back for the Midlands side. Again, it was decided after VAR was consulted.
 
In the end, Chelsea’s players saw out of the rest of the match with little incident.

“I don’t want to come on and talk about VAR,” said the Forest boss after the game. “I’m so proud of the performance of my players, especially the young ones. It was a really good experience for my players.”