Nigeria international Taiwo Awoniyi celebrated his 100th appearance for Nottingham Forest in memorable fashion, delivering a goal and an assist in a lively Premier League clash against Chelsea FC on Monday afternoon.
Handed a rare start in an unusual 3pm kickoff, Awoniyi wasted no time making his presence felt, opening the scoring just 97 seconds into the contest.
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The early strike marked the fastest away goal conceded by Chelsea in the league since December 2013, when Jay Rodriguez scored after 13 seconds for Southampton FC.
The milestone goal came from a well-orchestrated move, with Dilane Bakwa exploiting space on the right flank before delivering a pinpoint cross to the back post.
Awoniyi rose unmarked and powered home a confident header to give Forest a dream start.
The Nigerian forward continued to influence proceedings, later winning a penalty after being pulled down in the box by Malo Gusto.
Following a VAR review, the spot-kick was awarded, and Thiago Jesus calmly converted, sending Robert Sánchez the wrong way to double Forest’s lead within 14 minutes.
Awoniyi’s decisive contributions set the tone for an impressive team display, as Forest extended their unbeaten run to six matches and continued their push away from the relegation zone.
His performance not only highlighted his attacking quality but also underscored his importance to the team at a crucial stage of the season.
For Chelsea, it was a frustrating outing marked by defensive lapses.
Switching off during their own throw-in for the opener and conceding a needless penalty compounded their struggles, as they missed a chance to strengthen their push for European qualification.
Reaching the 100-appearance milestone is a notable achievement for Awoniyi, and he ensured it was celebrated in style with a performance that could prove pivotal in Nottingham Forest’s fight for survival.
