Chelsea 2 Nottingham Forest 1

By Bill Pierce, PA Sport

Chelsea chalked up their first Premiership win of the season sparked by Gianfranco Zola's goal after just 25 seconds at Stamford Bridge.

But they had to survive an unexpectedly anxious last 22 minutes after their former goalkeeper Dave Beasant produced a series of splendid saves to restrict Gianluca Vialli's side to just one more goal - a simple close-range header by Gustavo Poyet - and lone striker Jean-Claude Darcheville cut Forest's deficit.

Manager Vialli decided to leave Danish international Brian Laudrup on the substitutes' bench for all but the last two minutes after a disappointing debut against Arsenal in midweek.

But Vialli was boosted by a marvellous first-half attacking display spearheaded by fellow Italians Zola and Pierluigi Casiraghi, and orchestrated by fluent Frenchman Marcel Desailly.

Zola's lightning strike was the prelude to an hour of almost total dominance by Chelsea and the only real surprise in the first half was that they managed to add just one more goal.

The fans were still settling into their seats when the little Italian crafted a perfect cross from the left for compatriot Casiraghi who held off Craig Armstrong to provide a return ball which Zola curled delightfully around Beasant and just inside the far post.

Zola should have had a second five minutes later when Desailly's through pass sent him scuttling past Steve Chettle only for the advancing Beasant to bravely push away his low drive.

But Beasant was afforded precious little time for a breather as Chelsea launched one enterprising raid upon another.

Dan Petrescu, back in the starting line-up for the first time this season, fired inches wide after a typical right-wing run and then Casiraghi connected with a header from the Romanian's cross to force another good stop by the keeper.

Beasant had to take some responsibility for flapping at a Zola corner which led to Chelsea's second goal in the 34th minute - a third of the season for Uruguayan powerhouse Poyet.

But there was still plenty of opportunity for Forest to clear the danger before Desailly and Celestine Babayaro had close-range efforts blocked and Poyet eventually steered a point-blank range header into the empty net.

Chettle's header that was directed down and wide from Stone's freekick had been Forest's only real reprisal until full-back Alan Rogers let fly from 30 yards just before half-time and forced Ed de Goey into his first genuine save of the match with a spectacular tip-over.

And there was little sign of the Forest revival as Beasant saved magnificently from Casiraghi's thunderous volley and Zola's teasing cross-shot early in the second half.

Beasant needed a rescue act by skipper Chettle who blocked Casiraghi's shot towards an open goal after the keeper, miskicking a routine clearance, reprised the kind of clanger he used to be infamous for during his four-year spell at Stamford Bridge.

But he then brilliantly kept out Andy Johnson's unwitting header to prevent an own-goal and denied Zola once more after the little striker's twinkling feet had again taken him clear inside the penalty box.

So it was a major surprise when the battling Darcheville, who had run his socks off in pursuit of lost causes, latched onto a long clearance that landed behind the Chelsea defenders and neatly sidestepped De Goey's desperate challenge before rolling the ball coolly into an empty net.

That encouraged Forest to launch a long-ball barrage in search of a point that should have been long beyond them.

And although Chelsea's counter-raids almost killed off them off on at least two occasions, there would have been an equaliser but for De Goey somehow getting in the way of Stone's eight-yard volley from Darcheville's cross.

Chelsea: De Goey, Petrescu, Babayaro, Leboeuf, Desailly, Poyet (Lambourde 83), Casiraghi (Laudrup 89), Duberry, Le Saux, Newton, Zola.

Subs Not Used: Hitchcock, Flo, Morris.

Booked: Petrescu.

Goals: Zola 1, Poyet 35.

Nottm 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.

Att: 34,809

Ref: P Alcock (Halstead).