NafisaChelsea held on to secure Champions League qualification for next season after a gritty win over Nottingham Forest to wrap up the 2025/26 Premier League season.
The Blues went ahead in the second half when Levi Colwill finished from close range at the back post following Pedro Neto’s squared delivery.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men found it difficult to test Robert Sanchez in the Chelsea net, with Chris Wood coming closest in the opening half after beating the Spanish keeper to a cross, and the New Zealand striker failed to capitalise in stoppage time after bringing the ball down but firing over from six yards.
Here are our player ratings from the City Ground following a tense final day in the Premier League:
Nottingham Forest
Matz Sels – 6: Had a largely uneventful day but missed out on a final clean sheet to win the Premier League golden glove outright. Could do little about Colwill’s goal and had very little to handle afterwards.
Ola Aina – 5: Made a sharp underlapping run into the area to create an opportunity in the first half. Found lots of room on the right flank and combined well with Nicolas Dominguez and Anthony Elanga but was below par when it came to delivering accurate crosses. Picked up a booking and was taken off in the second half.
Nikola Milenkovic – 6: A contender for Forest’s player of the year and showed his quality. Assured and composed dealing with aerial deliveries and displayed strong leadership. Will be frustrated by the way the goal was conceded.
Murillo – 5: Committed himself to tackles and physical duels. Won some, lost some. The Forest supporters appreciated the effort, and he avoided any major punishment. Brought a touch of classic defending.
Neco Williams – 4: Made an excellent challenge to halt a Chelsea counter but found Pedro Neto’s speed and power difficult to manage, which eventually led to the breakthrough from Colwill.
Nicolas Dominguez – 5: Got in the way of a dangerous strike from Noni Madueke early on. Picked up an injury trying to win the ball off Madueke in the second half and had to come off.
Ibrahim Sangare – 5: Offered solid support in front of the back line and was disciplined in holding his deeper role in midfield. Helped manage Forest’s transitions and disrupted Chelsea’s central build-up for most of the match.
Elliot Anderson – 5: Took on a shot from distance that missed the target before clattering into Madueke with a rash challenge that earned a yellow.
Morgan Gibbs-White – 4: Looked like the long campaign affected his sharpness and influence. Found pockets of space but couldn’t link with the attack due to inaccurate passes and well-read interceptions.
Chris Wood – 4: Provided a physical outlet up top that gave Tosin Adarabioyo and Reece James something to think about, but couldn’t replicate the form he showed earlier this season and squandered three decent opportunities including a first-half volley and a last-gasp attempt (HE COST THE TEAM)
Anthony Elanga – 6: Was fairly bright and involved in Forest’s forward play, delivering balls into the area and working well with the wide players. Lacked the final ball, and his best effort — a second-half free kick — was easily gathered by Robert Sanchez.
Nafisa
