“It was a good game, We had a plan and it worked, We still have two finals to go” – Nott Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi speaks out after netting a brace vs Chelsea as he delivers relegation verdict
Although he is disappointed they failed to grab the maximum possible points, Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi was happy with his team’s performance, which he said went according to plan.
The former Liverpool man scored twice as Nottingham Forest held Chelsea to a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge, taking them four points clear of the closest rival in the drop zone.
Thanks to Awoniyi’s Man of the Match performance that saw him score back-to-back braces in the Premier League, Nottingham Forest have put pressure on fellow relegation battlers – Everton, Leeds United and Leicester City.
The Nigeria international rose highest between two Chelsea defenders to head past Edouard Mendy in the 13th minute to open the scoring as the visitors went into the break a goal ahead.
But Chelsea staged a comeback as two quick-fire goals from Raheem Sterling in the second half saw them go in front, only for Awoniyi to level matters with another headed goal.
Awoniyi admitted that he was disappointed after Chelsea took the lead, but in the end the Super Eagles striker was happy that his goal earned Nottingham Forest a precious point in their battle to beat the drop.
It was a good game,” he told the Premier League, per the BBC.
“Obviously, we know how good they are as a team, and we came here with the spirit and togetherness and we had a plan and it worked. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the three points.
“The most important thing was to get the goals and that brought us into the game. Many times we sat off but that’s the game plan and that’s what we did. It helped us as a team and individually to earn the draw today.
“Obviously when they score those two quick goals, you feel bad but that is football and you just have to believe in yourself and your team-mates and keep going and in the end we got the point
“I think for every striker, you always want to score every game. As a striker, you have to bring your team-mates in.
“We still have two finals to go, the next one is Arsenal and from there we will see what happens.”
In twenty five appearances in his maiden season in the Premier League, Awoniyi has scored eight goals.
