Nottingham Forest 0-1 Chelsea: Maresca's Blues silence critics to secure Champions League qualification | OneFootball

Everything went right for Chelsea on an afternoon where they clinched Champions League qualification for the first time under the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership.

Enzo Maresca's side claimed a 1-0 win at the City Ground against fellow Champions League chasers Nottingham Forest, with Levi Colwill scoring the only goal of the game after tapping in at the back post in the 50th minute.

Chelsea's focus was just taking care of their own business instead of relying on results elsewhere. Fortunately, Aston Villa and Newcastle United both suffered defeats on the final day, which saw Maresca's Blues finish the campaign in fourth place.

It's been a challenging season for Chelsea. The young squad have had to play through a lot of noise externally, but the belief and togetherness within the dressing room has never wavered. They were asked to deliver against Forest and they just did that, a testament to the progress made by the group.

Co-owner Todd Boehly embracing Chelsea captain Reece James at full-time. / IMAGO / Sportsphoto

Securing a return to Europe's elite club competition has made it a successful first season for Maresca in charge of Chelsea following his appointment last summer. Even heading into the final day, many were questioning whether they could get a result in Nottingham.

Maresca had a message for all of the doubters - at any point of the season. His pride and joy was clear to see at full-time, a big moment and potential turning point for this young Chelsea side.

"I didn't have any doubt about the players," said Maresca at full-time. "The doubt was from outside. All the ones that have the answers or the ones that have the truth, they were saying that we are too young, we are not good enough, they were waiting for Aston Villa to drop points for us to achieve the Champions League. They were saying that we were not able to win on this pitch because we are too young, because we are not experienced.

"Unfortunately for them, they have all been wrong. All the ones that have the truth and have the answer to everything. So in English, how you say? F off to all of them, because the players deserve that. The effort they have been doing is fantastic."

The full-time scenes saw the whole squad and staff, including co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, as well as sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart celebrate with the travelling supporters.

Chelsea now need to look forward to the future. There's plenty to build on and the foundations are there. Just like against Nottingham Forest, it's in their hands and they must now grasp the opportunity to take the next step.

For now, they have a final to focus on as they look to finish the season with silverware, winning the Conference League on Wednesday in Poland against Real Betis.