Taiwo Awoniyi celebrated his 100th appearance for Nottingham Forest in spectacular fashion, scoring twice as the Nigerian forward inspired a 3-1 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.

The 28-year-old marked the occasion with a performance full of power, movement and clinical finishing, as Forest stunned the home side with a fast start and maintained control throughout large periods of the contest.

Awoniyi needed just 98 seconds to open the scoring, rising brilliantly to head home a precise cross and silence the Stamford Bridge crowd.

The early strike set the tone for the encounter and is reported as one of the fastest Premier League away goals scored against Chelsea in recent seasons.

It remains the quickest such goal since December 2013, when Jay Rodriguez scored for Southampton after 13 seconds.

Forest doubled their advantage in the first half after Awoniyi won a penalty, with Igor Jesus stepping up to convert from the spot in the 15th minute.

Chelsea’s hopes of a quick response were then frustrated when Cole Palmer saw his penalty saved by Matz Sels, who produced a crucial stop to preserve Forest’s lead.

Despite Chelsea enjoying spells of possession and creating chances through Enzo Fernández and Palmer, they were repeatedly denied by a disciplined Forest defence and an alert Sels, who made several key interventions.

After the break, Forest continued to threaten on the counter and were rewarded again in the 52nd minute.

Morgan Gibbs-White threaded a well-timed pass through the Chelsea defence, allowing Awoniyi to react first and finish calmly from close range to complete his brace and put the visitors firmly in control at 3-0.

Chelsea eventually pulled one back late on through João Pedro, who reacted quickest inside the box to acrobatically turn the ball home, but it was only a consolation as Forest comfortably saw out the result.

Awoniyi’s milestone performance not only showcased his finishing quality but also his all-round contribution, as Forest moved a step closer to Premier League safety with a statement win away at one of the league’s top sides.

Wale Adejumo