Nottingham Forest and their Champions League dream

Nottingham Forest dream of reaching the top of English football after nearly 40 years when they host formidable Chelsea at 10 PM on May 25th at City Ground.

The highly anticipated clash in the Northwest is attracting particular attention from English fans, not only because of the intense desire of both Nottingham Forest and Chelsea. Chelsea will be in the UEFA Conference League final in exactly one week, but currently, "The Blues" are focused solely on securing three points in their final Premier League match.

The race for the Top 5 is intense.

In theory, Chelsea have the advantage as they are currently in fifth place in the league table, meaning a win would secure their place regardless of other results. Nottingham Forest are only one point behind but two places lower, meaning they would need to beat Chelsea and hope Newcastle or Aston Villa slip up to have any hope of finishing in the top five.

The exposed strengths and weaknesses make this match even more unpredictable. Chelsea have been relatively impressive in the latter stages of the season, winning 6 out of their last 7 matches. However, they only won against opponents who had nothing left to play for, while against a strong team like Newcastle, Chelsea suffered a 0-2 defeat.

As the season drew to a close, Chelsea's weaknesses became increasingly apparent, particularly their lackluster attacking play. In their win against Manchester United last weekend, Chelsea's only goal came from a surprise combination between full-backs Reece James and Marc Cucurella, while strikers like Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, and Pedro Neto remained largely ineffective.

While striker Nicolas Jackson's return is uncertain, Chelsea are still hoping Jadon Sancho will be fit to play, while Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu are ready to return to support Palmer or Madueke in attack.

The Nottingham Forest - Chelsea match is the focal point of the race for the Top 5 in the English Premier League. (Photo: AP - Graphics: VE LOAN)

Home advantage

With their 2-1 victory over West Ham in the previous round, Nottingham Forest truly revived their European dreams after a run of four consecutive draws and losses. Their current seventh-place position guarantees Nuno Santo's team a spot in three European competitions next season, but Nottingham Forest still aspires to return to the prestigious Champions League.

Nottingham Forest is considered a rather perplexing case, being the only team to have won more European cups than domestic titles; and also the only team to have won the European Cup/ Champions League twice in a row, yet for over three decades afterwards consistently played in lower leagues, including a few seasons in League One!

To secure a place in the top five after the Premier League season ends, Nottingham Forest must win against Chelsea and hope their rivals slip up. While this is a difficult scenario, in football, nothing is impossible when the team at City Ground has enough ambition and determination.

Nottingham Forest's playing style is quite simple, focusing primarily on tight defense and quick counter-attacks. Opponents are well aware of Nottingham Forest's tactics, but stopping Nuno Santo's team is no easy task. Furthermore, their home ground, City Ground, has always been a strong advantage for this season's dark horse.

According to expert Mark Hughton, Nottingham Forest have previously beaten Manchester City and Aston Villa, and drawn with Arsenal and Liverpool at City Ground, so Chelsea should pay special attention to this detail, given that "The Blues" always play inconsistently when playing away from London. In their last 20 home games, Nottingham Forest lost 4 but won 10.

Expect surprises at City Ground

New Zealand striker Chris Wood is Nottingham Forest's top scorer (20 goals), but experts believe Anthony Elanga is the most exciting player to watch in this "Top 5 final." The Swedish winger has scored 6 goals and provided 11 assists, and has been playing exceptionally well in the latter stages of the season, with his goal against former club Manchester United being a testament to the 23-year-old's progress.

Elanga is looking forward to a confrontation on the left flank with Marc Cucurella – Chelsea's most consistent player and a threat to strikers from many teams. If he can resolve this "hot spot," Elanga will have more opportunities to participate in crosses or create set pieces for the effective aerial attacks that have become a trademark of Nottingham Forest this season.

The battle for the goalkeeping spot is also worth watching. Matz Sels is aiming for his 14th clean sheet of the season, enough to put him in contention for the Golden Glove award with Arsenal's David Raya. Chelsea's strikers aren't particularly sharp, which presents an opportunity for both Matz Sels and Nottingham Forest.

Chelsea have their fate in their own hands, but Nottingham Forest are predicted to at least secure a draw, possibly even spring a surprise on the Blues, who are considered superior in many aspects. Will a surprising ending to the Premier League season be possible?

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nottingham-forest-va-giac-mo-champions-league-196250524214126118.htm