Enzo Maresca will have felt a real sense of achievement when the final whistle was blown at the City Ground in Chelsea’s final Premier League game of the season.
Levi Colwill scored the only goal as the Blues confirmed their place in next season’s Champions League, with a resolute defensive performance keeping Nottingham Forest at bay.
Maresca was safe no matter what happened on Sunday, however didn’t hesitate to point out how many people had doubted Chelsea to achieve a top five finish this season.
Gary Neville predicted Chelsea wouldn’t beat Forest, with very few pundits backing them for Champions League qualification from Maresca’s first campaign in charge.
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Enzo Maresca’s passionate warning to Chelsea players after Forest win
The Blues proved the doubters wrong though, and were given the opportunity to celebrate wildly in front of the travelling fans at the City Ground as they snapped their horrific away form at the right time.
Many may have forgotten that after the game, there were just three days until Chelsea were back in action, with them about to take part in the Conference League final against Real Betis.
They have enjoyed a relatively comfortable campaign so far in that competition, however cannot underestimate their opponents on Wednesday night.
Maresca has echoed this message to his players. According to The Athletic, after praising his team for the win over Forest, he made it clear that they needed to turn their attention to the Conference League final straight away.
Photo by Vince Mignott/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images
Photo by Vince Mignott/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images
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Rotation expected for Conference League final
Chelsea have used their European exploits this season to rotate their starting squad, giving fringe players the chance to impress.
The likes of Tyrique George and Josh Acheampong have made their mark in the competition, and will be hoping to appear after remaining on the bench for the final league game of the season.
Nicolas Jackson is likely to return to the starting side, as his suspension is not valid for games in Europe.
Romeo Lavia will not be available for selection after not being included in the squad for the Conference League, with Maresca’s goal being to get him back to full fitness to contribute at the end of the campaign.