With just a point separating them, seventh-place Nottingham Forest welcome fifth-place Chelsea with the winner sealing Champions League qualification in the most exciting clash on the final day of the Premier League 2024/25 season.
NOT vs CHE Match Details
Date: Sunday, 25 May 2025
Time: 16:00 (BST), 20:30 (IST)
Venue: The City Ground, Nottingham
NOT vs CHE Match Preview
For most of an incredible campaign, Nottingham Forest looked destined to seal a spot in the top five of the Premier League. However, with just two wins registered since the start of April, they have been scrambling for heroics on the final day to fulfil their dream. Nuno Espirito Santo's side claimed a 2-1 win against West Ham United last weekend, but it was their first three points after three winless games and three defeats in the previous six league games. That torrid form has left Forest to slip to seventh, behind Manchester City, Newcastle, Chelsea and Aston Villa, having led them only weeks ago. They will need to win against the Blues and hope Newcastle and Aston Villa drop points in their game to have any chance of qualifying for the Champions League. The Trees are guaranteed to play in Europe after 29 years, as they cannot drop down from seventh place, which gives them Conference League football. However, this will mark a setback in their ambition to compete in top-tier European competitions. Their form in the City Ground is also a worry, having lost three straight games and not winning any home meetings against the Blues since 1996/97. Forest has not registered 20 wins in a 38-game campaign and it will prove difficult to achieve the feat even though the opposition carries an underwhelming away form.
That is the only sticking factor for Enzo Maresca’s side as they are the 11th-best team in the league in terms of away form, with four draws and seven losses in 18 games. The latest came in the 2-0 defeat to fellow Champions League football chaser Newcastle United, with just one away win managed this year and failing to score in six in that period. In stark contrast, Chelsea are the third-best side in home form, taking 12 wins, including the 1-0 victory over Europa League runners-up Manchester United last weekend. The Blues are placed fifth in the final Champions League spot with the same points as fourth-place Newcastle and Aston Villa in sixth with just a point above their final day opposition, Nottingham Forest. Three points will seal their deal, but a draw can make matters complex. Despite their woeful away form, Chelsea will want to get the job done, carrying a sublime run of six wins out of their last seven games in all competitions and a chance to do the double over Forest at the City Ground for the first time in 103 years, having stayed unbeaten in the last three trips. That will secure their place in the Champions League after two seasons and motivate them for the Conference League final against Real Betis three days later.
NOT vs CHE Recent Form (all competitions)
NOT: LLDDW
CHE: WWWLW
NOT vs CHE Recent Form (Premier League)
NOT: WLDDW
CHE: WWWLW
NOT vs CHE Predicted Lineups
Nottingham Forest
Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams; Dominguez, Sangare, Anderson; Gibbs-White; Wood, Elanga
Chelsea
Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Neto
NOT vs CHE Head to head (Premier League)
Played - 15
NOT won - 4
Drawn - 6
CHE won - 5
NOT vs CHE Head to head (at Forest home)
Played - 7
NOT won - 2
Drawn - 2
CHE won - 3
NOT vs CHE Dream11 Match Prediction
Nottingham Forest’s erratic form and Chelsea’s similar troubles on the away trip might prevent both from winning this tie. We predict a 1-1 draw, but the result might strike them out of Champions League contention.
NOT vs CHE Dream11 Team Top picks
Captain Pick: Morgan Gibbs-White
Vice-captain Picks: Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer, Chris Wood
NOT vs CHE Dream11 Team Suggestion
GK: Sels (Cr - 7.5, Pts - 710)
DEF: James (Cr - 7.5, Pts - 408), Colwill (Cr - 8, Pts - 1021), Milenkovic (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 636), Cucurella (Cr - 9, Pts - 1164)
MID: Palmer (Cr - 9, Pts - 1902), Fernandez (Cr - 9, Pts - 1365), Gibbs-White (Cr - 9, Pts - 664)
FW: Neto (Cr - 7.5, Pts - 768), Wood (Cr - 9, Pts - 774), Elanga (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 615)
Vice-captain: Enzo Fernandez
Captain: Morgan Gibbs-White
