Sports

• Oguntoye Esther
• 1 Min Read

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Chelsea: Blues Qualify For Champions League

NOTTINGHAM — Chelsea held their nerve on the final day of the season to win 1-0 at Nottingham Forest and secure qualification to the UEFA Champions League for next season.

They were the party poopers at a raucous City Ground on the final day of what has been a brilliant season of overachievement from Nuno Espirito Santo’s side. Forest were still applauded off by their supporters and deservedly so as they returned to Europe for the first time in 30 years.

Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea started slowly but Pedro Neto missed a glorious chance to put them ahead in the first half, then Chris Wood missed an equally wonderful chance at the other end as Nottingham Forest also chased Champions League qualification hard.

But Levi Colwill’s goal early in the second half was enough to seal the win which saw Chelsea reach the Champions League after a two-season hiatus.

They finished in fourth place in the table on 69 points, while Forest finished seventh on 65 points and will now play in the Europa Conference League next season.

Chelsea’s next steps are crucial for sustained success

The Champions League is where Chelsea want to be and they’re back. What they do next is crucial in staying there. Recruitment is going to be key for Maresca’s side this summer with a new goalkeeper, center back and central forward essential to their development. With the Club World Cup coming up, they have less time to work on new deals compared to most clubs but the temporary window opens soon for business to be done. Chelsea will work fast, and furious, to upgrade this young squad. But they must also make absolutely sure the deals they are doing are the right ones. We’ve seen before that their wild approach in signing dozens of players has had mixed results but now they have to be more specific. And go big. The next transfer window is going to be crucial if they’re going to be in the Champions League and challenging for big trophies in the years to come. There will be huge relief that Chelsea are back in the Champions League and dining at Europe’s top table. Now comes the hard bit: picking the right elite players to keep them there.