Chelsea have qualified for the UEFA Champions League at Nottingham Forest's expense as Levi Colwill's goal handed the Blues a 1-0 final-day victory at the City Ground.
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With Chelsea entering the final matchday of 2024/25 holding a one-point advantage over Forest, they knew three points would confirm a top-five finish while ending their hosts' hopes.
Forest needed a win paired with favours from elsewhere, but after 50 tense minutes, Pedro Neto teed up Colwill for a simple close-range finish to score in front of the travelling fans.
Chris Wood had earlier missed a presentable chance to put Forest ahead and he fired over from another in second-half stoppage time, but Nuno Espirito Santo's men otherwise struggled to make an impression after falling behind, never truly threatening a comeback.
The result means Chelsea finish fourth in the table, four points ahead of Forest, whose impressive campaign ends with a seventh-placed finish and UEFA Conference League qualification.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 |
Man City
MCI
|
38 | +28 | 71 |
| 4 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
38 | +21 | 69 |
| 5 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
38 | +21 | 66 |
| 6 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
38 | +7 | 66 |
| 7 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
38 | +12 | 65 |
How the match unfolded
Forest started positively in front of a raucous home crowd but failed to turn their early pressure into chances as Ola Aina's cutback went without a touch from a red shirt.
The first major opening fell Chelsea's way on the half-hour mark, but Neto could only turn Cole Palmer's right-wing cross over the bar from close range.
Wood had an almost identical chance near the end of a nail-biting first half, but having beaten Robert Sanchez to Aina's delivery, he could not keep his volley down.
But Chelsea looked a different team early in the second half and broke through in the 50th minute, Colwill tapping home after Neco Williams' poor header allowed Neto to slide the ball across the face of goal.
Forest attempted to dial up the pressure as Aina sent a wild effort off target, but they were kept at arm's length by a resolute Chelsea backline.
Entering eight minutes of stoppage time needing two goals to gatecrash the top five, Wood volleyed over on the stretch while Elliot Anderson's cross-shot was hacked clear, as Chelsea held on.
Forest fall just short on decisive day
One year ago, Forest approached the final game of the 2023/24 season still not mathematically assured of their Premier League status, with a 2-1 win at Burnley securing safety and sending Luton Town down.
They entered the 2024/25 finale with a very different aim in mind, having kept their top-five hopes alive with last week's 2-1 victory at West Ham United. Nuno's men also needed other results to go their way on Sunday, but knew only a win here would be enough to keep them in with a chance.
A solid defensive record, coupled with blistering pace on the counter, had got Forest this far, and they gave nothing away in a fiercely contested first 45 minutes. If not for a heavy touch from 20-goal striker Wood, they might have gone into half-time with a precious lead.
At the break, three of the four games involving Champions League hopefuls were still goalless, offering hope to those at the City Ground, where striker Taiwo Awoniyi was in attendance after undergoing abdominal surgery last week.
But after Colwill pounced to put Chelsea ahead, Nuno might have wished he had Awoniyi available from the bench. Forest launched a barrage of crosses into the Chelsea penalty area without success, with leading goalscorer Wood seeing his touch desert him.
Seventh place represents Forest's best Premier League finish since 1994/95, when they ended the season in third. However, after seeing rivals Newcastle United and Aston Villa lose their games on a dramatic day, they could be forgiven for thinking about what might have been.
Colwill's revenge gets Chelsea over the line
Chelsea have not competed in the Champions League since 2022/23 – their first full season under the Todd Boehly regime. But having spent much of Enzo Maresca's debut campaign in the top five, their task here was simple.
A victory would secure the Blues' return to the top table of European football, though it was clear from the off that they would have to work hard for that prize.
With Nicolas Jackson still suspended following his red card at Newcastle two weeks ago and Christopher Nkunku omitted as rumours swirl regarding his future, Chelsea lacked cutting edge during a first half in which neither team managed a shot on target.
It looked like an unlikely hero may be needed, and defender Colwill took up that mantle. His goal owed much to the anticipation of Neto, who gambled on Williams' attempted clearance and slid the ball past Matz Sels, gifting his team-mate an easy finish.
That strike represented a moment of redemption for the centre-back. While on loan at Huddersfield Town in 2021/22, Colwill scored the own goal that won Forest the Championship playoff final and ended their long absence from the Premier League.
Colwill and his defensive colleagues were tested late on as Forest threw caution to the wind, but Wood's wayward volley was as close as Forest came to teeing up a grandstand finish.
Having achieved their primary objective for the season, Chelsea could yet cap their campaign with silverware as they face Real Betis in Wednesday's UEFA Conference League final in Wroclaw, Poland.
Match reports
Forest report | Chelsea report
What the managers said
Nuno Espirito Santo: "I have to thank the players for their commitment, when you give everything you have, you cannot say anything about it.
"We started well and controlled the game. Second half, we rushed and the anxiety didn't help us. It was not enough.
"They were good chances for us. It was there, we didn't achieve it. It's hard when it was in your hands in the end and it doesn't go your way.
"There are many things that happen during the season. It is not always possible to be better than the other teams. We wanted to go for the game today so the boys did well. It is a tough competition.
Enzo Maresca: "They grow a lot as a team and a player and they showed how good they are today.
"I hope so, we brought this club where it has to be. We finished sixth last year and most of the time, they forget that.
"The only thing I knew was when Man United scored their second one. They told me 2-0. We didn't need the rest to drop points, we won."
PL clubs' summer 2025 pre-season friendly fixtures
Key facts
Despite missing out on Champions League qualification, next season will see Forest involved in a European competition for the first time since 1995/96, when they reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals under Frank Clark.
Chelsea’s 1-0 victory – which confirmed their qualification for the Champions League – was the first time they’ve won and kept a clean sheet in a Premier League away game since September (3-0 v West Ham United). Indeed, it was just their second win in their last 11 league games on the road (D3 L6).
This was Forest’s first home defeat to an opponent starting the day in the top six in the Premier League this season, having previously been unbeaten in five matches coming into the final day (W2 D3).
The average age of Chelsea's starting XI in the Premier League this season was 24 years and 36 days - the youngest ever by a team in a single campaign in the competition.
