Nottingham Forest 0–1 Chelsea: Takeaways As European Qualification Decided | OneFootball

A 1–0 Chelsea win over Nottingham Forest on the final day of the Premier League season was what the Blues needed to secure Champions League qualification for 2025–26.

Forest also started the day just about in contention for Europe’s elite competition. But while Chelsea’s victory placed them fourth in the table, the hosts at the City Ground finish seventh and will take part in the Conference Leaue next season.

Levi Colwill’s solitary goal early in the second half was enough to decide the game.

Champions League Shootout

Levi Colwill scored the only goal of the game. / IMAGO/Sports Press Photo

Given that Nottingham Forest finished last season one place above the relegation zone and Chelsea were in the bottom half of the table until the final eight games, no one last summer when the 2024–25 fixtures were released would have predicted this game was going to have so much riding on it.

Forest needed a little more than three points to get into Europe’s top competition for the first time since they were European Cup holders in 1980–81, requiring some help from other results as well. But Chelsea knew a victory would have them in next season’s Champions League—having last qualified three years ago—regardless of whatever else happened.

Ironically, Aston Villa and Newcastle United losing to Manchester United and Everton respectively, meant they would have got into the top five with a win in this game. But that shouldn’t be the lasting focus and there ought to be celebrations, not regret.

Forest in Europe

Nuno Espirito Santo steered Nottingham Forest to seventh place. / IMAGO/NurPhoto

Nottingham Forest haven’t played in Europe at all since reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup (now the Europa League) in 1995–96, when they were knocked out by Bayern Munich.

Notwithstanding the fact that they occupied third place in the Premier League table for much of the season and agonisingly slipped out of the top five more recently, being in Europe at all next season is a huge achievement.

They finished 10 places and 33 points better off than last season and will compete in the Conference League in 2025–26. Given that West Ham United won that trophy two seasons ago and they have proven themselves one of England’s better teams, European silverware could be attainable.

No Conference League Final Concession From Chelsea

Enzo Maresca finished fourth in his debut Premier League season as a manager. / IMAGO / Sportimage

There was nothing to suggest that Chelsea had even half an eye on this season’s upcoming Conference League final against Real Betis in Poland on Wednesday.

Enzo Maresca named his strongest available side, making it clear that trying to qualify for the Champions League was his overwhelming priority.

No key starters were rested, with the possibility that—as it has been all season—it will be a rotated side that plays in the Conference League instead.

Forest’s Golden Glove

Defensive solidity has underpinned Forest’s enormous improvement. That strength is reflected in Matz Sels walking away from this campaign as the joint-Golden Glove winner, alongside Arsenal’s David Raya.

Both goalkeepers were level on 13 clean sheets ahead of the final day. But when Sels conceded from Colwill and Raya’s goal was breached by Southampton’s Ross Stewart, it confirmed they couldn’t be separated and would each take a share of the accolade.

It is the third time the Golden Glove has been shared—most recently between Alisson and Ederson in 2021–22, but is the lowest number of clean sheets that has been needed to win since the award was introduced ahead of the 2004–05 season. The previous low bar was 14 from Manchester City’s Joe Hart in 2014–15, while Petr Čech still holds the record for 24 clean sheets in 2004–05.

No Gary Neville

Gary Neville was denied access to Nottingham Forest’s City Ground. / IMAGO/PA Images

With this one the biggest ticket on the final day fixture list, host broadcaster Sky Sports intended to send lead pundit Gary Neville to the City Ground to co-commentate. But the ex-Manchester United captain was made aware in the days before that he wouldn’t be welcome.

Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith picked up the microphone instead.

Forest denied Neville’s request for media accreditation to allow him inside the stadium, seemingly a continuation of beef that has developed with the club after Neville lambasted the owner Evangelos Marinakis as “scandalous” for confronting coach Nuno Espirito Santo in public after a recent game.

“I’ve dished out my fair share of criticism and praise in the last 14 years of doing this job and have never come close to this unprecedented action,” Neville posted on Instagram on Saturday.

“Personally, I think it’s disappointing that a great club like Nottingham Forest have been reduced to making such a decision. Whilst they have every right to choose who they let into their own stadium, it’s symptomatic of things that have happened over the last 12 months with the club.”