Troy Deeney embarrasses himself with relegation prediction before Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest
Troy Deeney appears to have become a laughing stock due to his comments before Nottingham Forest stunned Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Just 15 minutes into proceedings, and Vitor Pereira's side had already slotted home twice against the Blues, with Taiwo Awoniyi grabbing his second of the afternoon to make it three on Monday, 4 May.
Sadly, Forest couldn't hold out for a clean sheet, as Joao Pedro netted a bicycle kick in added time, but it was a precious three points that all but confirmed survival in the Premier League.
Forest ended up beating Chelsea 3-1, a surprise to many after the Reds fielded a rather weak starting lineup, and the team have also made Deeney look like a fool following his pre-match comments.
Nottingham Forest surely out of the Premier League relegation battle
Forest can now look forward to a Europa League semi-final second leg against Aston Villa, a team that has just lost to Tottenham Hotspur in a rather disappointing 2-1 result at Villa Park.
That was actually the basis of Deeney's main concern, however. He suggested that the Reds' focus on Europe could drag them into the relegation battle further, saying that they should be "worried the most".
He also suggested that players might be pulling out of challenges before important games in Europe, but just 90 minutes of football later, and the former striker is being forced to eat his own words.
| Chelsea | vs | Nottingham Forest |
| 67% | Possession | 33% |
| 21 | Shots | 6 |
| 5 | Shots on target | 4 |
| 2 | Big chances | 3 |
| 12 | Fouls committed | 10 |
| 1 | Offsides | 2 |
| 10 | Corners | 1 |
It was an impressive display from the team sitting 16th in the Premier League. And with Pereira's side now six points clear of the dropzone with three matches left, safety is within touching distance.
Vitor Pereira can extend winning streak vs Aston Villa
Forest are now unbeaten in 10 matches, winning the last five on the bounce, and they will be hoping to continue that when visiting Villa Park on Thursday, 7 May.
Unai Emery's side are bound to be anything but confident about coming back from a one-goal deficit in the second leg, having lost each of their last three matches in all competitions.
This could be Emery's final season at Villa, so he will be keen to end the campaign on a positive note, and that would certainly be the case if he can help the club lift its first piece of silverware since 1996.
It'll be interesting to see what Deeney has to say ahead of the game as well. It's unlikely that he'll ever overlook the Reds so much again, having been forced to eat his own words pretty quickly.