"You earned my respect", "This is why he was rated so highly" - Fans praise Chelsea star after their win over Nottingham Forest

Fans were full of praise for Levi Colwill after his goal clinched Chelsea's 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground today (May 25). The defender's 50th-minute strike has provided the Blues with Champions League football, driving them into the fourth spot. It has also thwarted Forest's ambitions of top European football, dropping the hosts to the Europa Conference League.

The solitary goal came through a move initiated by Cole Palmer's crossfield ball that was half cleared. Marc Cucurella chipped the ball back into the box, and the resulting clearance attempt by Neco Williams only went as far as Pedro Neto.

The winger saw his chance and found a pocket of space to power his effort just wide off the goal. However, it ended up as a beautifully weighted pass for Colwill to finish from point-blank range into an empty net.

Forest did what they could, which included two glaring opportunities for Chris Wood, but could not break the Blues' defense. Wood's two missed chances, one at half time and one late into stoppage time, only added to the hosts' misery.

Colwill's display was beyond his goal. He had ten defensive interventions, of which six were clearances. His leadership and calm at the back certainly helped the Blues remain strong at the back. It led to pure delight from fans on social media, who were full of praise for his efforts, as they shared comments like these:

"Levi Colwill...You earned my respect" a fan stated.

"Tosin and Colwill, I have no words, both of you were class today, I'm so proud of my boys" another fan was delighted.

"This is why Colwill was rated so highly. The step up in the run in was what it’s about". this fan explained.

"Colwill has stepped up massively" another added.

"Levi Colwill I won’t forget this performance" this fan promised.

"Colwill is better than Saliba." a fan insisted.

"Colwill and Tosin were ridiculous!!" another noted.

Chelsea set their sights on Conference League trophy

Chelsea's attention is now on UEFA Conference League final against Real Betis on 28 May at Stadion Wroclaw, Poland. The Blues would become the first team to have successfully won all five UEFA top men's competitions. They have previously won the Champions League, the Europa League, and the Euro Super Cup trophies.

Manager Enzo Maresca was displeased with the scheduling because Real Betis were awarded an extra 48 hours of preparation. La Liga brought their final La Liga match against Valencia forward to May 23, giving them more time to reset and train. Meanwhile, Chelsea only just faced Nottingham Forest two days later.

Real Betis, who are coached by Manuel Pellegrini, are appearing in their first European final. Chelsea are widely recognized as favorites, but the La Liga outfit have a wild card in Antony, who has sparkled on his loan spell with Betis this season.

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