Having finally gotten back to winning ways after 10 attempts in all competitions against AFC Bournemouth last time out, Chelsea would have been hoping to enjoy the start of a turnaround.
However, on a revival of form himself, Awoniyi had other ideas, nodding home on the end of Renan Lodi’s inch-perfect cross to give Nottingham Forest the lead with 13 minutes gone - his third goal in his last two games.
In particular, it was a moment for Édouard Mendy to forget after missing his punch and leaving the forward with a simple free header.
Unimaginative and lacklustre, the Blues’ response was one which reflects their dismal season, with Atlético Madrid loanee João Félix enjoying Chelsea’s best chance of the half just before the break, heading into the grateful grasp of Keylor Navas.
Alas, whatever Frank Lampard said at HT seemed to finally jolt the hosts into life, and with that, Sterling found the equaliser just six minutes after the restart.
In vintage Sterling fashion, the winger checked his run to receive Trevor Chalobah’s cutback and fired a deflected effort into the roof of the net.
Momentum then swung entirely in Sterling’s direction, who turned the game on its head with his second goal of the match, bending a perfect finish into the far corner, to leave Navas with no chance just before the hour mark.
Forest mounted a response of their own in an unexpected turn of events, however, when Awoniyi - just as he did against Southampton last time out - got his second of the game, once again heading home in the 62nd-minute.
A true back-and-forth affair, Lodi and Sterling threatened to find a winner for their respective sides, but ultimately, Chelsea and Forest were forced to settle for a point apiece, leaving Steve Cooper’s side just three points adrift of the relegation zone.
The Blues, meanwhile, remain on course for their first bottom-half finish in the PL since the 1995/96 season.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Raheem Sterling (Chelsea)
