Chelsea qualified for next season's Champions League after beating Nottingham Forest 1-0 in a tense Premier League clash at The City Ground on Sunday afternoon.
Both the Blues' and the Garibaldis' nerves were on full display in a first 45 that featured zero shots on target despite the stakes, and Pedro Neto came closest in the opening half an hour when he fired over from close range after being picked out by Cole Palmer.
At the other end of the pitch, Chris Wood should have fired his side in front moments before the interval, but he skied his chance when Ola Aina found him unmarked in the area, only to miss the target from within the six-yard box.
Enzo Maresca's men came out fired up for the second half and wasted no time by taking the lead on the 50-minute mark through Levi Colwill, who got onto the end of Neto's pass to tap into an empty net.
Nuno Espirito Santo's team did their best to reply and fight their way back into the top six, but with Wood missing another big chance by striking over the crossbar late on, it was not to be.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
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Chelsea may have only just beaten the Tricky Trees, but their narrow win was enough to secure Champions League football for next season during what has been a difficult year for the Blues.
Next week's UEFA Conference League final may not be at the level that Maresca's men want to play at, but a European trophy will be remembered fondly by fans if they can beat Real Betis and end the campaign with silverware.
As for Nuno's side, they will be disappointed to have fallen just short of reaching Europe's premier club competition having spent so much of 2024-25 in the top five, but a chance of making the Conference League would have been considered a success at the start of the term.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST VS. CHELSEA HIGHLIGHTS
30th min: Pedro Neto (Chelsea) Big Chance Missed
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43rd min: Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest) Big Chance Missed
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Ola Aina crosses the ball in from the right-hand side of the box, picking out 20-goal striker Wood, but the frontman's volley goes over the crossbar from six-yards out with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez in no man's land.
50th min: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Chelsea (Levi Colwill)
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Cole Palmer's cross is headed back out of the box, but Marc Cucurella's return ball finds its way to Neto, whose bouncing pass across the face of goal reaches Colwill at the back post for a tap-in on the right-hand side of the goal.
MAN OF THE MATCH - LEVI COLWILL
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The Chelsea centre-back's goal was the difference maker during what was a tense and close-fought clash, and with Neto and Wood both missing clear-cut chances for their respective sides, it took a defender to break the deadlock.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST VS. CHELSEA MATCH STATS
Possession: Nottingham Forest 52%-48% Chelsea
Shots: Nottingham Forest 10-6 Chelsea
Shots on target: Nottingham Forest 2-2 Chelsea
Corners: Nottingham Forest 7-4 Chelsea
Fouls: Nottingham Forest 10-11 Chelsea
BEST STATS
19 - Nottingham Forest's 19 wins in the 2024-25 Premier League season are the joint-most by a team to not finish in the top six, along with Manchester United in 2013-14 (also 7th). Unfortunate. pic.twitter.com/ZLi4Y8N9vH
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 25, 2025
WHAT NEXT?
Nottingham Forest will be disappointed with finishing seventh, but they will need to be ready for their Conference League qualifiers this summer.
Meanwhile, Chelsea will turn their attention to the final of that competition, and they will be confident of clinching the trophy when they face Real Betis on Wednesday.
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