Chelsea secured a return to the Champions League with a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday, thanks to Levi Colwill’s second-half winner at the City Ground.
The result ended Forest’s hopes of a top-five finish, dropping them to seventh and into the UEFA Conference League. Enzo Maresca’s side finished fourth in the Premier League, capping off a strong run of five wins in their final six matches—despite ongoing criticism of the manager’s cautious approach.
The Blues return to Europe’s elite competition for the first time in two years, while Forest’s wait for Champions League football, last seen in the 1980–81 season, continues.
Chelsea defender Reece James celebrated at full-time as the Blues secured Champions League qualification with a hard-fought 1–0 win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on May 25, 2025. Despite the celebratory scenes, there was a brief mix-up in early reports, mistakenly crediting Brighton with a 4–1 win.
With their European fate now sealed, Chelsea can turn their attention to the UEFA Conference League final against Real Betis on Wednesday—an opportunity to claim their first piece of silverware since the 2022 Club World Cup.
Enzo Maresca’s side ended the Premier League season in fourth place, four points above Forest, who slipped to seventh and into the Conference League despite leading the table earlier in the campaign. It was a late-season collapse—failing to win any of their last four home games—that cost Forest a maiden Champions League appearance since 1980–81.
For Chelsea, the victory capped a late-season surge of five wins from six, offering Maresca a strong response to critics who questioned his conservative style during a turbulent first year in charge. Away form had been a particular concern, with just seven wins in 18 league outings on the road before this.
But Maresca’s men responded to the pressure, overcoming a raucous Forest crowd that welcomed their players with red flares, balloons, and chants—many inspired by the emotional return of striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who had been in recovery from a life-threatening abdominal injury sustained against Leicester.
Forest pushed hard with energy and emotion, but clear-cut chances were rare in a nervy contest. Chelsea’s first real opening came in the 30th minute, when Pedro Neto fired over from close range after a clever cross from Cole Palmer. Forest striker Chris Wood wasted a similar chance before the break, volleying over from Ola Aina’s delivery.
Despite their inexperience—Chelsea’s starting XI had an average age of just 24 years and 36 days, the youngest over an entire Premier League season—they held firm. The breakthrough came in the 50th minute: Neco Williams’ weak header fell to Neto, whose low cross was tapped in at the back post by Levi Colwill for his second goal of the season.
The atmosphere briefly dipped in the City Ground, but hope flickered again as news filtered through that Newcastle—also in the top-five race—had fallen behind to Everton.
Yet Chelsea stayed composed amid the chaos of results elsewhere, doing just enough to hold off Forest and claim their place back among Europe’s elite.
AFP
