Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has expressed confidence that his players will cope with the intense pressure ahead of their high-stakes clash with Nottingham Forest, as the race for Champions League qualification reaches a nail-biting conclusion this Sunday.
Maresca’s side head to the City Ground knowing a win would likely secure their long-awaited return to Europe’s top-tier competition. Currently sitting fifth in the Premier League—above Aston Villa on goal difference and one point ahead of Forest in seventh—Chelsea must deliver under pressure to avoid a third consecutive season without Champions League football.
Forest, too, are in the mix, aiming to qualify for the prestigious tournament for the first time since the 1980/81 season, adding further drama to the sold-out fixture.
Addressing the magnitude of the moment, Maresca said: “When you join Chelsea, you feel pressure from day one. You don’t need to play this kind of game to feel more pressure or less pressure. I feel pressure since I joined the club.”
Chelsea’s away form remains a concern, with just seven wins from 18 league matches on the road, compared to 12 home victories at Stamford Bridge. “Sometimes we played away and didn’t deserve to lose or even draw,” Maresca noted. “But if we struggle away, there is a reason, and we are going to use the break to understand it.”
After Sunday’s showdown, Chelsea will quickly shift focus to their UEFA Conference League final against Real Betis on Wednesday in Wroclaw. Winning the trophy would provide a silver lining to Maresca’s turbulent first season in charge.
But the Italian is aware of the physical toll Sunday’s clash could take. “Now the focus is on Sunday’s game. The next one is the most important one and then after that, we can focus on Wednesday’s game,” he said. “We don’t have enough time to recover the energy so, for sure, we need to rotate and change things. We need to make some changes.”
What you should know
Enzo Maresca is backing Chelsea to handle the pressure against Nottingham Forest in a crucial match that could seal Champions League qualification.
With another final looming days later, he plans to rotate his squad to manage fatigue and keep their European hopes alive on two fronts.
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