"You can see the difference" - Alan Shearer reserves praise for Chelsea star after their 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest

Alan Shearer heaped praise on Marc Guiu, who came on as a substitute during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Chelsea on Saturday, October 18. Shearer believed the Spanish striker’s introduction at half-time marked a pivotal turning point in the match, shifting Chelsea’s gameplay to the front foot and creating more opportunities in the final third.

Second-half goals from Josh Acheampong, Pedro Neto, and captain Reece James secured a 3-0 win for the Blues at the City Ground. Missing a few first-team players, the visitors looked out of sorts in the first half and could have found themselves behind before the break, thanks to Forest squandering their chances. In a bid to change the tide of the game, manager Enzo Maresca made three substitutions at halftime, bringing on Moises Caicedo, Jamie Gittens, and Guiu.

Speaking on Match of the Day, Shearer singled out Guiu for praise, insisting he improved Chelsea’s performance. He said:

“Not only did he [Maresca] bring Jamie Gittens and Moises Caicedo on to bring a bit of solidity, he brought Guiu on. You can see the difference. Joao Pedro is now predominantly playing in the 10, Guiu’s the centre-forward, he’s running in behind, and all of a sudden, it changes.

“They’re now playing on the front foot, they’re now getting chances in the final third, Guiu’s coming short, but he’s also asking questions in behind. He makes such a clever run, again making it difficult for the Forest defence, they’re having to think again. Chelsea I think were without doubt much, much better for those changes at half-time.”

Guiu joined Chelsea from Barcelona in 2024. He had actually been loaned out to Sunderland for this season, only to be recalled following an injury to Liam Delap.

“We expected them back four” – Chelsea boss Enzo explains reason for not starting Marc Guiu against Nottingham Forest

Enzo Maresca acknowledged Guiu’s contribution in the match against Nottingham Forest and explained his decision not to start him. Speaking in the post-match press conference, Maresca said he thought Forest would line up in a way better suited to Joao Pedro playing as No. 9. He told reporters:

“I think he [Guiu] was on for 15 minutes against Liverpool, fighting with Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Ryan Gravenberch, and he was very good. Today, after one minute of the second half, he won a corner against Morato. So, we need that from Marc. Jamie came on, he was okay. And I think Marc Guiu was good. But also we planned the game expecting them back-four, not back-five. I think back-four with Joao Pedro at No.9 is better.

“With back-five, Joao Pedro at No.9 is not… If you remember, West Ham away, back-five, we played Liam Delap and Joao Pedro against a back-five. So, we expected them back four, but they were back five. And then after half-time, we changed.”

Chelsea are currently sixth on the league table and will next be in action against Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday, October 22.