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• Chelsea quartet left at home as Bompastor rotates squad for Celtic clash

  Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has said that they will be without four key players ahead of their Champions League game away to Celtic on Wednesday.

  Bompastor confirmed that Millie Bright, Mayra Ramirez, Sjoeke Nusken and Kadeisha Buchanan have not travelled to Scotland for their encounter at Celtic Park.

  The Blues know a victory will seal their progression to the knockout stages, though have decided to rest a few of their key players during a hectic fixture schedule. 

  Their trip to Scotland will be the second of three matches inside seven days in all competitions for Bompastor's side and, as a result, she has decided to rotate her squad.

  "The squad is in a good place and we have a good dynamic and we are full of confidence," she told a press conference

  "We have been playing a lot of games and this week we play three games so it’s important to manage players as individuals.

  “We have some players who didn’t travel for this game. Kadeisha Buchanan, Millie Bright, Sjoeke Nusken and Mayra Ramirez didn’t travel."

  Chelsea come into the game with a 100% record in all competitions under Bompastor, including two wins from two against Real Madrid and Twente in the Champions League.

  And they will be confident of maintaining their perfect run, having lost just one of their previous 20 group stage matches in the competition (W14 D5) and are unbeaten across their last 14 (W11 D3). 

  “As you know, Chelsea have a good squad with quality and a good team will start the game and be competitive because we want to finish first in this group," she said.

  Their early-season form has them second in the Women's Super League and top of their Champions League group, at least three points ahead of any other team.

  Despite resting players, Bompastor reassured people that it was Chelsea's ambition to fight on all fronts.

  “The Champions League is important and we have ambition and we want to make sure we finish first in the group," she said.

  “We have ambitions and if we want to go for all the competitions then you need to beat every team.

  “It will start again in March and that’s when the really important games start, but right now we are focused on the group stage.”

• Forest taught 'a lesson' as winning run ended by Newcastle according to Nuno

  Nuno Espirito Santo acknowledged Nottingham Forest were taught "a lesson" by Newcastle United, even if he did not criticise his side following a 3-1 defeat at the City Ground.

  Forest had won their previous three matches to climb to third in the Premier League, and Murillo's opener had them on course for another victory.

  But that goal came against the run of play, and Newcastle continued to dominate, eventually equalising through Alexander Isak.

  Forest, who have been so solid at the back this season, went chasing victory and were instead caught out as both Joelinton and Harvey Barnes scored on the break.

  Those counter-attacks have been a large part of Forest's own attacking identity previously, and Nuno was full of praise for how ruthlessly Newcastle executed that tactic.

  "I cannot say that was a bad performance, that is totally out of the question," the Forest boss told BBC Sport.

  "We played against a very good team that was able to control us and then hurt us in the way we've been doing. It is a lesson for us to learn.

  "I just have to recognise that today we played a good team, who were better than us in many, many moments.

  "There's nothing to say about the [Forest] players. The character and belief was there."

  Newcastle were a little unfortunate to trail at half-time, having had seven shots to Forest's three and 60% of the possession.

  Yet Eddie Howe, the Newcastle coach, still saw plenty of room for improvement, which his side delivered on after the restart.

  "It was difficult, but we knew it would be," he said. "They are a difficult team to play against because they don't concede many chances and you're left fearing the worst when you go behind.

  "We had work to do at half-time, but credit to the players because the second half was up there with our best performances this season.

  "Everything we didn't do in the first half, we did at the start of the second half. We were intense and direct with our attacking. We asked more questions and could have scored.

  "I'm really pleased with the second half."

  Newcastle have won three in a row in all competitions for the first time in over a year, helped by a return to form for their attacking stars.

  Isak had netted only once this season before scoring in the past four successive matches, while Barnes again showed his quality from the bench. Six of his nine Newcastle goals have come as a substitute.

  Howe added: "We need our attacking players to contribute goals, and Alex has done that in the past few weeks with massive moments, then Joelinton and Harvey Barnes pop up with moments, too.

  "We know we have players who can make that difference, and I'm really pleased with that side of our game.

  "Harvey Barnes did what he does. He's an outstanding player. Trying to find room for him in the team is something that I am conscious of.

  "I'm really pleased he got that goal – I thought it was a fantastic finish."

• Nottingham Forest 1-3 Newcastle United: Visitors battle back for another City Ground victory

  Newcastle United fought back to win at the City Ground again on Sunday, beating high-flying Nottingham Forest 3-1 with a ruthless second-half display.

  The Magpies had defeated Forest away from home in each of the previous two seasons, but Nuno Espirito Santo's hosts have been a different prospect so far in this campaign.

  And Forest looked set for a fourth win in a row when Murillo nodded in his first career goal midway through the first half.

  That opener was arguably harsh on Newcastle, though, and a deserved equaliser arrived nine minutes after half-time as Alexander Isak scored in a fourth consecutive match in all competitions.

  Isak, who netted twice in a 2-1 win at Forest in March 2023, then turned provider for the second goal as Joelinton brilliantly beat Matz Sels, before substitute Harvey Barnes broke away to net the third.

  Another victory, following on from last week's win against Arsenal, lifts Newcastle to within a point of Forest, who remain third ahead of Chelsea hosting the Gunners later on Sunday.

  Data Debrief: Super sub Barnes shows Newcastle depth

  Newcastle had looked a little short in wide positions prior to a change last week that saw Joelinton moved into the forward line, but now they have a wealth of options.

  Joelinton starred on the left against Arsenal but scored a brilliant goal after moving to the right on this occasion, also contesting (16) and winning (10) more duels than any team-mate.

  Then Barnes arrived from the bench, on for the injured Anthony Gordon, and made the points safe with his ninth Premier League goal for the club and sixth as a substitute. Only Papiss Cisse (eight) and Callum Wilson (seven) have more Newcastle goals from the bench in this competition.