Nottingham Forest manager Ange Postecoglou was sacked by the club on Saturday, immediately after a 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea.

The club, just one point above the Premier League relegation zone, said the Australian had been "relieved of his duties as head coach with immediate effect".

Postecoglou left without a win in eight matches since taking charge last month.

Goals early in the second half by Josh Acheampong and Pedro Neto, and another by Reece James in the 84th minute, earned Chelsea a victory that sparked loud jeers inside the City Ground at fulltime.

Postecoglou has been in defiant mood in recent weeks, even delivering a five-minute monologue on Friday in which he rejected talk that he was a “failed manager” and promised to win a trophy at Forest — just like he did at Tottenham last season before being fired.

Forest lost six and drew the other two of its eight games under Postecoglou since the Australian replaced Nuno Espirito Santo as manager on September 9.

Above relegation

That includes four losses from five in the league, scoring just one goal in the process, to leave Forest hovering just above the bottom three.

A slack few minutes after halftime cost Forest dearly, with 19-year-old defender Acheampong heading home a left-wing cross by Neto in the 49th before Neto smashed home a shot from a indirect free kick in the 52nd.

James drilled in a third after Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels flapped at a corner, leading to hordes of home fans leaving the stadium and the Chelsea away supporters chanting “You're getting sacked in the morning” toward Postecoglou.

Chelsea right back Malo Gusto was sent off in the 87th for collecting a second yellow card.