Ange Postecoglou Dismissed Minutes After Crushing Defeat to Chelsea
Ange Postecoglou’s brief tenure as Nottingham Forest manager came to an abrupt end on Saturday evening, just moments after his team suffered a disheartening 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea at the City Ground.
The decision to part ways with the 60-year-old Australian came swiftly from Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, who reportedly acted almost immediately after the final whistle. The result marked Forest’s fourth consecutive defeat across all competitions, and the mood inside the stadium turned increasingly hostile as boos echoed around the stands.
Postecoglou’s reign, which lasted only 40 days, ended before many fans had even left their seats. The announcement came as a surprise to many, particularly after the manager’s spirited press conference on Friday, where he confidently declared, “If given time, the story always ends the same… me with a trophy.” But Marinakis evidently had little interest in waiting for a turnaround, choosing instead to bring the curtain down on the short-lived chapter.
A Promising Start Undone by Chelsea’s Second-Half Surge
Forest began the game brightly and were the more energetic side in the opening stages. The home crowd were given some early hope when midfielder Elliot Anderson was played through by Morgan Gibbs-White, only to squander the opportunity from close range with only Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez to beat.
Taiwo Awoniyi, making his return from injury and appearing for the first time this season, looked sharp early on. He dispossessed Chelsea deep in their half and fed Gibbs-White, who curled a left-footed shot just wide of the far post, raising the decibel level inside the City Ground.
Despite Forest’s encouraging start, Chelsea began to grow into the game. Their first real effort came on the half-hour mark when Reece James struck a tame free-kick from distance, easily dealt with by Matz Sels. A better opportunity fell to Andrey Santos just before half-time, but his shot drifted wide after beating Sels.
After a goalless first half, the game quickly tilted in Chelsea’s favor. Just four minutes after the restart, a surging run from Pedro Neto down the left flank led to a pinpoint cross, which was met by Josh Acheampong. The 19-year-old headed home his first senior goal, sparking wild celebrations among the traveling Chelsea supporters.
Forest barely had time to regroup before the visitors struck again. This time it was Neto himself getting on the scoresheet, curling a free-kick from just outside the box that caught Sels flat-footed. The quick-fire double stunned the home side, who suddenly found themselves chasing shadows.
Forest Collapse and the Inevitable Exit
From that point on, Chelsea took firm control of the match. Forest did their best to respond, with Neco Williams attempting a volley that flew over the bar and both Nikola Milenkovic and Ibrahim Sangaré testing Sánchez with half-chances.
The closest Forest came to scoring was in the 70th minute, when Igor Jesus connected with a cross from Callum Hudson-Odoi. His header beat Sánchez but agonizingly struck the crossbar, then the post, before being cleared.
Chelsea sealed the win in the 84th minute when Reece James smashed home a third from close range following a corner. While Malo Gusto was later sent off for a second bookable offense, the dismissal did little to dampen Chelsea’s dominant display — or ease Forest’s growing woes.
As the away fans chanted “You’re getting sacked in the morning” toward Postecoglou in the dying minutes, few could have predicted just how quickly their taunts would become reality.
A Short-Lived Spell Ends in Silence
Just minutes after the match concluded, Nottingham Forest officially announced that Postecoglou had been relieved of his duties. The decision capped a turbulent and ultimately disappointing period for the former Celtic and Tottenham boss, whose arrival had been met with optimism but failed to deliver results.
Forest have now lost seven of their last nine matches in all competitions and sit perilously close to the relegation zone. With pressure mounting and time running out, Marinakis is expected to act quickly in appointing a successor who can steady the ship before the season slips further out of control.
As for Postecoglou, his departure marks another abrupt twist in what has been a rollercoaster managerial career in English football — one that now ends in silence just 40 days after it began.