Forest investigate alleged homophobic chants as Chelsea drop more points

Chelsea dropped more points in their quest to climb back up the Premier League standings as Serge Aurier earned Nottingham Forest a 1-1 draw with Graham Potter's side on Sunday.

Chelsea manager Graham Potter commented on the hostile atmosphere after the game. Forest said they are investigating allegations of homophobic chanting directed at Chelsea supporters.

“The club are aware of reports concerning chants aimed at Chelsea supporters from a minority of fans this evening and do not condone any type of discriminatory or offensive behaviour,” Forest said in a statement. “The matter will be fully investigated.”

Forest's LGBTQ supporters group said they were “embarrassed and ashamed”.

“From all genuine NFFC fans, please accept our apologies,” LGBTQ Trickies said.

“We're tired of trying to explain to the uneducated why the chant is wrong on all levels, we're not tired of fighting for equality and inclusion.”

Chelsea Pride, the London club's LGBTQ supporters group, described the chanting as a “hate crime”.

Fresh from their first league win in six games last time out against Bournemouth, Chelsea started well in the Nottingham drizzle, with Raheem Sterling firing them into the lead in the 16th minute with his first league goal since August.

Forest improved after the break and were desperately unlucky not to equalise early in the second half as Morgan Gibbs-White's drilled half-volley hit the underside of the crossbar but bounced on the goal line and away.

The hosts kept coming and deservedly levelled things up as Aurier slotted his first goal for his new club in the 63rd minute, with Forest looking the more likely winner from there on in.

They could not complete the turnaround, however, with Chelsea hanging on for a point that leaves them eighth in the standings, seven points behind Manchester United in fourth.

The hosts remain in the relegation zone but climbed to 18th, level on 14 points with West Ham United above them.

“I think overall when the game was controlled in the first half I don't think we did well enough, our performance level wasn't good enough, [we] didn't move the ball fast enough,” Potter said.

“They use their advantages which is the environment, the crowd. The second half we didn't control it well enough.”

Chelsea needed the reset that the World Cup gave them, given they had gone on their longest league run without a win, five, in 10 years before the tournament.

It appeared they had turned the corner after the Bournemouth win and their impressive start at the City Ground. They nearly broke the deadlock in just the second minute as Mason Mount fired over from a good position.

The visitors went one better through Sterling after Christian Pulisic's cross looped onto the crossbar and the England forward hammered home the rebound.

Gibbs-White was causing Chelsea all kinds of problems, firing against the crossbar before playing a big part in Aurier's equaliser, curling over a corner the visitors could not clear and former Tottenham Hotspur fullback pounced.

“I know we didn't win today but it was a good reference point that we can play against the big teams in the league,” Forest coach Steve Cooper said. “We're in control of our destiny and we have to keep building.”

Reuters