Chelsea kept their drive for European placement alive with a 3-2 heart-stopping victory against Nottingham Forest, spoiling the latter’s opportunity to ensure a secure future in the Premier League. Mykhailo Mudryk, Raheem Sterling, and Nicolas Jackson’s successful strikes contributed to Mauricio Pochettino’s third consecutive victory, putting Chelsea on equal footing with sixth-seeded Newcastle with two matches left. Pochettino could potentially guide the Blues to a spot in the Europa League or Europa Conference League, contingent on Manchester United’s final position in the league and their FA Cup performance.
Nottingham Forest, following goals from Willy Boly and Callum Hudson-Odoi, seemed on track to secure their Premier League position with a victory but are nonetheless virtually safe from relegation being a comfortable three points ahead of Luton, currently in the 18th spot. Logging an advantage of 12 goals and with one game remaining, it would require a significant event for Forest to face relegation on the final day.
Despite their recent penalties for violating Premier League monetary rules, and discontent with the perceived unfair refereeing calls this season, Forest views survival as a strong reply to the Premier League. Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis will find great satisfaction in this, after seeing his second team, Olympiacos, triumph over Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League semi-final earlier this week.
The atmosphere at the City Ground was festive following afternoon losses by Burnley and Luton. Chelsea, however, had no plan to join the celebration. Fueled by an eighth-minute goal resulting from an incisive pass by Cole Palmer to Mudryk, they took an early lead. However, Forest managed to even the score when Boly broke free of his marker to head a free-kick into the net. Despite their seemingly secured position, the Forest supporters expressed their dissatisfaction with the turbulent season by booing the Premier League anthem and displaying a defiant banner.
Forest were vigorously pursuing the three crucial points needed for their survival and during the initial quarter of an hour in the second half hit the frame of the net twice. A shot from 20 yards by Ryan Yates barely missed the post, and after a close-range header by Morgan Gibbs-White crashed into the frame of the goal, Chris Wood astonishingly knocked the rebound ball over the bar from merely two yards out. Subsequent to Thiago Silva’s header against a post at Forest’s end, a third goal opportunity was denied as Hudson-Odoi’s redirected shot hit the crossbar. In the 74th minute, Hudson-Odoi did manage to put Forest ahead with a brilliant, curling effort that found the bottom corner, after he quickly moved forward and cut inside. But the elated home-side celebrations were interrupted by Chelsea scoring twice in as many minutes. Sterling, recently recovered from an injury, scored with a neat curl into the distant corner and merely 119 seconds after that, Jackson headed a ball into the net, ensuring the visiting side walked away with the points.