It was clear from the start that this game would be full of excitement and chances, as Chelsea aimed to make it back-to-back wins after our earlier success in the Premier League 2 against Reading on Monday.

However, some would say we didn’t make it easy for ourselves. Although we started brightly, it was Forest that took the lead through Joe Gardner, who then doubled his tally to put us two goals down at the break.

However, the Blues came out with fire and determination in the second half. We didn’t give up or lose hope, and that drive pushed us to turn the game around. First, Harrison Murray-Campbell made a superb charge into the area and spotted Brodi Hughes. Hughes cut the ball back for Jimmy-Jay Morgan, who finished powerfully to pull one back.

The momentum kept building. Morgan and Donnell McNeilly linked up perfectly for our equaliser, when Morgan played a neat chip to McNeilly, who calmly ran onto it and tapped over the line. Morgan wasn’t finished. Continuing to cause problems, he put Chelsea ahead with a towering header from a brilliant Richard Olise cross.

To seal the win and add a perfect ending to a chilly evening at the Loughborough University Stadium, McNeilly closed the scoring with his second goal of the night. He capitalised on another bold set-up from Morgan, finishing with a composed high shot to complete our thrilling comeback.

Finding our feet

Chelsea started the game confidently, dominating possession and building momentum from the back. Winger Ato Ampah was the first to trouble Nottingham Forest’s defence. Using his speed to beat his marker out wide, he whipped in a dangerous cross, which skimmed just past the face of goal.

McNeilly drove forward and charged into the penalty area, setting up Morgan for a close-range chance. However, Fin Back slid in at the last moment to block the shot and spare George Murray-Jones from being tested in goal.

On the 10-minute mark, McNeilly nearly broke the deadlock with a brilliant solo effort. Dribbling past several red shirts, he reached the edge of the box and unleashed a low, stinging shot which drifted inches wide. It was another clear warning from the Blues, signaling our intent to take the lead.

Forest eventually pushed back. Ben Hammond made a smart run down the wing before sending in a dangerous cross toward Gardner, but Chelsea defender Hughes intercepted the ball and diverted it over the bar.

The Reds gained confidence and threatened again after winning the ball in a dangerous area. Winger Kyle McAdam unleashed a powerful strike, but Travis Akomeah made a superb sliding tackle to block the shot and prevent them from opening the scoring.

Chelsea responded with another close call. Ampah, a constant threat on the wing, delivered a pinpoint cross into the penalty area. Morgan did well to leap highest and meet it with a flicked header that looked destined for the back of the net, but looped just over the bar.

Falling behind

Despite a strong start from Chelsea, it was the hosts who broke the deadlock on the counter-attack. Jack Nadin sent a long ball to Jimmy Sinclair, who found space on the wing. Sinclair sprinted forward and delivered a sharp pass to Gardner, who tapped it in at the near post, beating Blues keeper Eddie Beach from close range.

However, we pushed for an equaliser. Harrison McMahon and Samuel Rak-Sakyi worked well as a midfield duo, helping the Blues build play upfield in search of McNeilly. Despite our efforts, Forest's compact defence made it difficult to create clear chances.

The Reds then doubled their advantage at their home ground. Striker Gardner scored his second of the evening with a determined run down the wing. He held off Akomeah, twisting and turning his way into the penalty box before firing a low strike into the bottom corner, out of the Chelsea keeper's reach. The Blues had work to do after the break, heading into the interval trailing 2-0.

Comeback sparked

Chelsea returned after the restart with renewed energy, hunting for a route back into the game. Filipe Coelho turned to his bench at half-time, introducing Kiano Dyer and Olise. Both substitutes made an immediate impact, driving the ball forward and gaining the team momentum.

It didn’t take long for the Blues to make our mark on the scoreline. The breakthrough came from a brilliant run by defender Murray-Campbell, who charged into the box and found Hughes. The right-back cleverly drew the keeper out of position before cutting the ball back to Morgan, who delivered a clinical finish into the back of the net, narrowing Forest’s advantage.

We were building real momentum now. With a goal under our belt, we knew we only needed to maintain the pressure in order to find more. Ampah was the next to test Murray-Jones in goal, but his looping strike from distance was comfortably caught.

It felt like only a matter of time before we found the equaliser - and we did, through striker McNeilly. Olise did brilliantly to carry the ball forward and deliver a perfectly threaded through-ball to Morgan. He showed great composure, executing a short chip over the Forest keeper, who had come off his line. Our No9 latched onto the ball and provided the decisive touch, bringing our comeback to life for good.

With the pressure building on the Reds, the team started to struggle. Back received his second yellow of the game for a tackle on substitute Mheuka, who was advancing in the build-up to a counter, leaving Forest down to 10 men for the remainder of the match.

It felt like we were now in control and had found our rhythm. Mheuka was the next to threaten Nottingham Forest, firing a powerful strike from distance. However, it skimmed agonisingly over the crossbar, a frustrating near-miss.

Grabbing big moments

The Blues continued to dig deep and it was clear we wanted it more than Forest. A brilliant comeback was completed when Morgan secured his second goal of the evening in fine fashion. Olise delivered a lofted ball into the area, where Morgan used his leap to power a header into the top corner. It was a massive moment, followed by loud celebrations.

Just two minutes later, we extended our lead through McNeilly. Once again, the lively Morgan closed down a Forest player, dispossessing him and threading a through-ball for McNeilly to chase. With composure in front of goal, our striker chipped the ball over Murray-Jones, who had rushed off his line, finding the back of the net just as he entered the penalty box.

Chelsea continued to control possession, maintaining our advantage away from home through the closing minutes to secure our second Premier League 2 win of the week, returning to Cobham with three points from a dramatic 4-2 victory.

What's next

Chelsea Under-21s continue our Premier League 2 campaign by hosting Southampton at Kingsmeadow on Friday 24 January, with kick-off at 7pm.

All supporters with a men's or women's season ticket, or a Chelsea Membership, as well as anyone under the age of 20, can claim one free ticket via their online ticket account, until midday on Thursday 23 January. All other tickets can be purchased for £4 each online or, from two hours before kick-off, at the Kingsmeadow ticket office.

The match will also be streamed live on the official Chelsea website and app.

The teams

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Eddie Beach; Brodi Hughes, Travis Akomeah (Richard Olise h-t), Harrison Murray-Campbell, Ishe Samuels-Smith (c); Harrison McMahon (Kiano Dyer h-t), Samuel Rak-Sakyi; Ato Ampah (Reiss Russell-Denny 89), Jimmy-Jay Morgan, Zak Sturge (Shumaira Mheuka 58); Donnell McNeilly
Unused sub: Kaiden Wilson
Scorers: Morgan 56, 83, McNeilly 65, 85
Booked: Akomeah 32

Nottingham Forest (4-3-3): George Murray-Jones, Fin Back, Josh Powell (Kristian Fletcher h-t), Zach Abbott (c), Jack Thompson, Jack Perkins, Jimmy Sinclair, Ben Hammond, Joe Gardner (Esapa Osong 66), Jack Nadin (Djamna Frank 88), Kyle McAdam
Unused subs: Will Brook, Manni Norkett
Scorer: Gardner 24, 40
Sent off: Back 68
Booked: Fletcher 48, Back 62, 68, Murray-Jones 72