Chelsea dramatically increased their chances of playing in Europe next season by scoring twice in two minutes to secure a late 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest, who are still almost certainly safe from relegation.
Mauricio Pochettino’s Blues appeared to be on the verge of defeat when former player Callum Hudson-Odoi curled in a lovely finish to put Forest ahead 2-1 with 10 minutes left – after Willy Boly cancelled out Mykhailo Mudryk’s strike in the first 15 minutes – but Chelsea responded with two goals.
Raheem Sterling opened the comeback with a drive from the edge of the box, and fellow substitute Reece James set up Nicolas Jackson to head in from close range.
There could have been more drama, as both teams struck the crossbar four times in a frenzied second half, and Chris Wood had one of the season’s worst misses, firing over from two yards out with the scores level.
The result brings Chelsea level on points with sixth-placed Newcastle and three points clear of Manchester United, who have a considerably superior goal differential. European slots might drop as low as seventh by the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Forest are three points ahead of Luton in the final relegation zone with one game remaining; however, the Hatters would need to overcome a 12-goal difference swing on the final day, allowing Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to plan for top-flight football next season.
