The battle for the top 5 in the Premier League will go down to the final day. There is no doubt that the City Ground will be electric on Sunday. Forest is looking for their first Champions League/European Cup appearance since the 1980/81 season. For Chelsea, it has only been a few years wait for Champions League football since the 2022/23 season. On Sunday, all 20 Premier League clubs will play at the same time for the final week of the season.
Two Champions League spots have been secured with Liverpool and Arsenal locking up first and second place. However Man City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest will battle it out on the final day and fight for the three remaining spots. For Chelsea it is simple, win and you’re in. For Nottingham Forest, they will need to win and hope that either Aston Villa or Newcastle slip up. Below is my favorite pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for this huge Premier League clash.
Nottingham Forest vs. Chelsea prediction, pick
Chelsea Moneyline (+115)
I like Chelsea in this one because of their recent run of form. They hit a blip around the festive period of the season, but have bounced back nicely in the last few weeks to put themselves in a decent position heading into the final day. The Blues have won four of their last five games and currently sit in 5th position. If they were to lose, Chelsea would be out of the top five as they will be leapfrogged by Forest. If they tie, 6th-placed Aston Villa would overtake them with a win or draw. Both teams should be in win-or-go-home mode, which should make for an exciting game. Chelsea is the far superior side on paper and needs UCL qualification to compete with the rest of the top clubs not only on the field but in the transfer market.
As for the Forest side of things, it was been a complete meltdown in recent weeks. They looked to be in control of 3rd place for most of the season, but have let it slip with only two wins in their last seven Premier League games. They need to win and hope that Aston Villa or Newcastle drop points to get into 5th place and qualify.
The recent games between these two sides are not what you may think. It’s extremely even. In the last five matchups, there have been three draws and one win a piece. I don’t expect that to continue on Sunday, as one of these teams has been playing extremely well at the moment while the other has lost confidence and searching for answers. I think the Blues get it done in this one and stamp their place in next season’s Champions League.
