Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea

The Premier League’s final day brings a thrilling showdown at the City Ground, where either Nottingham Forest or Chelsea could secure a coveted Champions League spot for the 2025-26 season.

For Chelsea, the equation is straightforward: a victory guarantees a top-five finish. Nottingham Forest, however, must not only defeat the Blues but also hope for stumbles from Newcastle United or Aston Villa to claim a place in Europe’s elite competition.

Forest’s fate could land them in any of the three European tournaments next season. At worst, they’re assured a Conference League spot, but a Champions League berth remains within reach. Last weekend’s 2-1 win over West Ham, thanks to Morgan Gibbs-White pouncing on a goalkeeper error and Nikola Milenkovic’s header from an Anthony Elanga free kick, snapped a four-game winless run and reignited their top-five hopes. Despite a late goal from Jarrod Bowen, Forest’s resilience kept them in the race for a historic Champions League qualification.

With 65 points, Forest need a win against Chelsea and a slip-up from either Newcastle or Aston Villa (both on 66 points) against Everton or Manchester United, respectively. Fans will likely be glued to their phones, anxiously tracking other results, but Forest’s primary focus is securing a 20th Premier League win—a milestone never reached in a 38-game season.

Chelsea, meanwhile, hold their destiny in their hands. Sitting fifth with 19 wins from 37 matches, they don’t need to rely on other results. Their recent 1-0 victory over a distracted Manchester United, sealed by Marc Cucurella’s late header, marked their sixth win in seven games—a timely surge with the Conference League final against Real Betis looming just days after this clash.

However, Chelsea’s away form raises concerns, with only one win in their last 10 Premier League road games and a mere five goals scored in those matches. Their earlier meeting with Forest this season ended in a tense 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, though Chelsea edged out a 3-2 victory at the City Ground last year

A win here could mark their first back-to-back away triumphs over Forest in over a century, securing Champions League qualification and dashing the dreams of a spirited Nottingham Forest side.