Chelsea earn Champions League place after win at Forest

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Nottingham Forest 0 - 1 Chelsea

Chelsea secured their place in next season’s Champions League with a narrow, hard-fought win at Nottingham Forest

Author | Kieran M

Stadium | The City Ground

English football ~ 24/25 run in - Premier League | Forest v Chelsea

The result confirmed a fourth-place finish for Enzo Maresca’s side and dashed any lingering hopes Forest had of qualifying for Europe’s premier competition.

The decisive moment came five minutes after the break, when Levi Colwill bundled home from close range. It was enough to ensure Chelsea met the expectations set for them at the start of the campaign. 

Maresca admitted afterwards that their summer transfer plans were shaped by which European competition they would be in.

The win also provides timely momentum ahead of Chelsea’s appearance in the Europa Conference League final against Real Betis in Poland on Wednesday.

For Forest, who battled to survive on the final day last season, this campaign represents significant progress. Despite falling short of a Champions League spot, seventh place and a route into the Conference League mark a successful step forward in their development.

READ MORE | Chelsea fans reflect on final-day win

They spent much of the season in the top four but struggled in the run-in, managing just two wins from their final eight matches. Their home form deserted them too, ending the season winless in their last four games at the City Ground.

This final match of the season had promised much, with the potential for high drama, but ultimately delivered more in tension than in quality. Pedro Neto and Chris Wood both missed opportunities in a largely subdued first half. After Colwill’s goal, Forest toiled in search of an equaliser but failed to create clear chances, with Wood blasting their best effort over the bar in added time.

A positive end to another slightly chaotic campaign

Chelsea’s players poured off the bench at the final whistle, celebrating in front of their travelling fans at the City Ground. It was a moment of release, a sign that this young side had finally delivered on long-standing expectations.

Levi Colwill’s close-range finish proved enough to settle a contest that had been billed as a battle for a place among Europe’s elite, but never quite sparked into life. Still, the stakes could hardly have been higher, and Chelsea held their nerve.

The club has always seen itself as a Champions League side, and Enzo Maresca has now ensured they will return to that stage next season. It could be the start of a memorable week, with the Conference League final against Real Betis still to come.

Location: Nottingham, UK

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