Chelsea beat Forest at the City Ground to seal Champions League qualification
The young Blues had faced criticism for their inconsistency throughout the term
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By TUM BALOGUN
Published: 03:57 EDT, 26 May 2025 | Updated: 03:57 EDT, 26 May 2025
Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia has taken aim at Jamie Carragher after the pundit claimed that the Blues would not have the 'character' to clinch a Champions League place.
'I think Chelsea and Nottingham Forest might both miss out,' the former Liverpool defender said ahead of the Premier League's final day. 'I'm not sure Chelsea have got the character and personality to go there and win.'
Enzo Maresca's side went on to prove their doubters wrong by securing a 1-0 win that saw the Blues return to Europe's premier competition for the first time in three years.
After the victory, Lavia, who rejected the chance to join Carragher's former side for the Blues in 2023, took to Instagram and poked fun at the 47-year-old in a series of images that included one with his head in his hands.
The Belgian's social media collection also included a picture of himself and Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, whose radical approach to the transfer market finally appears to be bearing fruit.
Maresca also hit out at his critics after the match, urging them to 'eff off’ after they won at Nottingham Forest to clinch Champions League qualification.
Romeo Lavia has taken aim at Jamie Carragher after Chelsea's 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest
The former Liverpool defender claimed that the Blues would not have the 'character' to clinch a Champions League place
The Belgian took to Instagram after the match, posting a series of images that included one with Carragher's head in his hands
‘I didn’t have any doubt about the players,’ said Maresca. ‘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 an answer to everything. So in English, how you say? “Eff off” to all of them, because the players deserve that. The effort they have been doing is fantastic.’
Chelsea broke a new record by officially becoming the youngest team in Premier League history. The average age of their line-ups over 2024-25 has been 24 years and 36 days. The previous record was set by Leeds United in 1999-2000 at 24 years and 162 days.
Maresca continued: '(Manchester) City lost here, Arsenal drew here, Liverpool drew here, Chelsea won. It's not easy. The players, they showed how good they are.
'Unfortunately we are in a business where the people judge us because of the results. And today, in case we were not able to win the game, probably all of you would judge this season a disaster. But it was not a disaster.’