Nigeria’s Taiwo Awoniyi bags brace on 100th Nottingham Forest appearance

Nigeria international Taiwo Awoniyi marked a major personal milestone in emphatic fashion, scoring his 20th Premier League goal on his 100th appearance as Nottingham Forest stunned Chelsea with an explosive start at Stamford Bridge on Monday afternoon. 

Awoniyi needed just two minutes to make his presence felt, rising highest to meet a well-delivered cross from Dilane Bakwa and guiding a powerful header past Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez to give Forest an early lead.

The strike not only set the tone for the contest but also etched Awoniyi’s name deeper into Premier League history, as the goal took him level with Victor Moses as the joint 10th highest Nigerian scorer in the competition.

Forest, buoyed by their dream start, continued to press and were rewarded again midway through the first half when they doubled their advantage from the penalty spot.

The spot-kick was awarded after Awoniyi was brought down inside the box by Malo Gusto following another dangerous attacking move. Igor Jesus stepped up confidently and converted from the spot to make it 2-0, leaving Chelsea stunned before the half-hour mark.

Awoniyi’s impact has been central to Forest’s attacking threat, with his combination of physical presence, movement, and aerial ability once again proving decisive against top-level opposition.

Reaching 100 Premier League appearances is another significant achievement for the Nigerian forward, who has steadily grown into a key figure since arriving in England. His latest milestone goal underlined both his consistency and his importance to Forest’s attacking structure.

For Chelsea, the early setback added to growing pressure as they struggled to cope with Forest’s directness and intensity in the opening stages. Stamford Bridge, usually a fortress, was left silenced early on as the visitors executed their game plan with precision.

With Awoniyi leading the charge and Forest showing clinical efficiency, the match quickly developed into one of the standout first-half performances of their campaign, with the Nigerian striker once again proving his big-game value on a historic night.