Familiar weakness lessens Chelsea joy

While builders work on the hotel and restaurant complex at Stamford Bridge and the West Stand awaits a second tier and roof, Chelsea's attempt to construct a team capable of winning the title remains some way from the topping-off ceremony.

That old failing, defensive uncertainty, continues to undermine Gianluca Vialli's attempts to add some bromide to the sexy football. Grinding consistency wins the championship, but on Saturday's evidence Chelsea's cavalier instincts will always sabotage such an unimaginative aim.

Perhaps that is being too churlish. After all, Chelsea did pick up their first Premiership win of the campaign, doubled their total goals tally for the season, witnessed the rebirth of Gianfranco Zola's intoxicating skills and, but for a string of saves from Dave Beasant, would have won at a canter.

The team's best foot is definitely forward. But the pressure which a depleted Forest exerted in the last 20 minutes once again exposed Chelsea's vulnerability to life on the back foot. The midfield gave away possession all over the place while the back line was merely all over the place.

Had Forest played with two strikers from the start instead of for only the last half-hour they would surely have posed even more of a threat.

Of course, for a surging side such as Chelsea attack can be the best form of defence - but only if they score. The excellent Beasant clearly enjoyed his role as Chelsea old boy, saving brilliantly three times from Zola, twice from Pierluigi Casiraghi and once from Frank Leboeuf.

His heroics left Chelsea, who will welcome back Dennis Wise after suspension for the next match, relying on defensive errors for their winning goals.

After only 26 seconds Craig Armstrong missed Zola's cross and Alan Rogers allowed himself to be hustled off the ball by Casiraghi, who set up Zola for a glorious curling finish. Chelsea extended their lead in the 35th minute when Beasant saved a header from the unmarked Celestine Babayaro but Gustavo Poyet mopped up the rebound.

Forest's goal came when Ed de Goey precipitously raced out of his area to clear Nigel Quashie's through-pass but was beaten to the ball by Jean-Claude Darcheville. An empty net beckoned.

Chelsea: De Goey, Petrescu, Babayaro, Leboeuf, Desailly, Poyet (Lambourde 83), Casi raghi (Laudrup 89), Duberry, Le Saux, Newton, Zola. Subs Not Used: Hitchcock, Flo, Morris. Booked: Petrescu. Goals: Zola 1, Poyet 35.

Nottingham Forest: Beasant, Rogers, Quashie, Chettle, Stone, Johnson, Armstrong, Thomas (Harewood 58), Bonalair, Darcheville, Gray (Lyttle 65). Subs Not Used: Crossley, Freedman, Edwards. Goals: Darcheville 69.

Referee: P Alcock (Halstead).

Gianluca Vialli is ready to stick with Pierluigi Casiraghi and Gianfranco Zola as his number one strike force and has told Brian Laudrup and Tore Andre Flo they will have to wait for their chance.

"I don't want to say they are definitely my first-choice pair because we'll need all the players in the squad this season when there will be so many matches," he said.

"But I am very happy with the way Gigi and Franco are working together. They have both worked very hard and I know that lots of goals are going to come from them soon."

Vialli has warned clubs targeting Flo to keep their hands off. Flo was offered a huge pay-rise at the end of last season to extend his contract which now has less than a year to go.

"At just 25 Tore is still the future of this club. We have had at least four clubs making inquiries for him since he came back from the World Cup but we are not going to let him go," Vialli said.

Danish star Laudrup, Chelsea's free-signing coup from Scottish giants Rangers in the summer, was dropped yesterday.

"He is still short of top fitness after the back injury he had in pre-season and it could take him a little more time to get there," Vialli said.

"I wanted to give him more than just the two minutes he had on the field against Forest but the situation of the game after Forest scored did not allow for that."