There was a sense of inevitability when the full-time whistle went. Boos rang round the City Ground while Ange Postecoglou stood, motionless, toward the middle of the pitch applauding the home supporters.

"He's gone," someone muttered while waiting for the former Nottingham Forest manager to attend his post-match press conference. A statement had emerged online from the club confirming their decision to sack Postecoglou.

There was also a sense of inevitability that Chelsea would be the ones to put the nail in the former Tottenham manager's coffin. The narrative leading up to the game was "win or bust" for Postecoglou, who lasted just 39 days in charge in Nottingham. Despite a "sloppy" first 45 minutes from the Blues, it felt inevitable something would click in the second-half.

Particularly with the changes Enzo Maresca made at half-time. Off went Andrey Santos, Alejandro Garnacho and Romeo Lavia. On came Marc Guiu, Jamie Gittens and Moises Caicedo.

"I think we struggled in the first-half a bit," Chelsea head coach Maresca explained post-match. "Off...