Chelsea player ratings vs Nottingham Forest as Sterling shines despite Mendy decision backfiring

Chelsea drew 2-2 against Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge as Frank Lampard failed to pick up back-to-back wins. The Blues looked much better in the second half but were unable to take all three points against a spirited Forest side.

N'Golo Kante was absent from the matchday squad after suffering a groin injury with his future at Chelsea still uncertain with his current contract set to expire this summer. Raheem Sterling's brace came between both of Taiwo Awoniyi's goals for Steve Cooper's side as the points were shared in west London.

Chelsea dominated possession early in the game with Forest looking to break on the counter-attack. Benoit Badaishile won his early duels with Taiwo Awoniyi as he continued his good form from the win against Bournemouth. 

Lewis Hall looked assured at left-back with Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella both injured and unavailable, dealing with the threat of Serge Aurier. Noni Madueke had the beating of his opposition once again but his end product let him down with Chelsea struggling to make their early dominance count.

Forest took the lead through Taiwo Awoniyi after the Nigerian striker latched onto Renan Lodi's cross to head home past Mendy. The Senegalese goalkeeper did not cover himself in glory as he flapped at the ball, taking out Thiago Silva and leaving an empty net for Awoniyi to head the ball into.

Chelsea were unable to find an equaliser before half-time as Mateo Kovacic had to be withdrawn with an injury - with his season now looking likely to be over. Joao Felix had the best chance of the half but his header was well-saved by Keylor Navas. 

Forest were unlucky not to have doubled their lead as Moussa Niakhate missed a golden opportunity at the back post, heading wide from a Forest corner. Raheem Sterling equalised for the hosts - his first goal since his strike in the reverse fixture at the City Ground - firing the ball past Navas from close range.

The England international grabbed his brace after sitting down Felipe before curling a shot into the far corner to give the Blues a 2-1 lead. Awoniyi popped up with a header at the back post after Chelsea failed to clear the ball from a corner with the Forest striker sneaking in behind Hall to equalise.

Paul Tierney became the villain at Stamford Bridge as numerous decisions went against Chelsea as the game died down, ending in both teams sharing the points. 

Edouard Mendy - 4. Not the return Edouard Mendy would have hoped for after replacing Kepa Arrizabalaga in the starting line-up for the first time in six months. The 31-year-old was at fault for Forest's opener and failed to prove he deserved to start ahead of the Spaniard this afternoon.

Trevoh Chalobah - 7. A strong performance from Trevoh Chalobah as he grabbed the assist for Sterling's first goal. He was a constant threat on the right, forming a good partnership with Madueke and was solid defensively despite playing in a right-back role.

Thiago Silva - 6. A good performance again from the Brazilian defender after Chelsea fans showed their appreciation for him with two new banners before kick-off. Despite conceding twice, he was always in the right places for the Blues and continues to show leadership as a senior star in a young team.

Benoit Badiashile - 6. Not as good as his performance against Bournemouth but still effective. Badiashile stood up to the physical battle against Awoniyi and helped the Blues make progress up the pitch.