Chelsea Fans React After Champions League Qualification: “Atanfo Bεkɔ Low Battery”
- Chelsea are back in the UEFA Champions League following a narrow win over Nottingham Forest
- The Blues join Tottenham, Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City and Newcastle United as representatives from England in next year's UCL
- Fans of Chelsea could not contain their joy, taking to social media to celebrate the club's qualification to Europe's premier club competition
After three years away from Europe's biggest stage, Chelsea have booked their place in next season’s UEFA Champions League, thanks to a hard-fought 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest on the final day of the Premier League campaign.
Levi Colwill, who emerged as the unlikely hero, netted the only goal that mattered, and with it, dragged Chelsea across the finish line into fourth place.
Source: Getty Images
Chelsea pip Nottingham to book UCL qualification
Heading into the fixture, both sides knew exactly what was at stake.
Forest, desperate to squeeze into the European conversation, needed maximum points and a bit of help elsewhere.
Chelsea, on the other hand, had their fate firmly in their own hands, and despite the pressure, they managed to see it through under Enzo Maresca’s watch.
The first half mirrored the occasion: cautious and cautious again. Neither side wanted to blink first.
For all the energy, there was little end product until just before the break.
In the 43rd minute, Chris Wood had a golden chance for the hosts, but after meeting Ola Aina’s inch-perfect cross, he blazed over from close range.
Chelsea came out with renewed intent after halftime, and just four minutes in, they broke the deadlock.
A goalmouth scramble found its way to Pedro Neto, who squeezed a pass across to Colwill at the far post, as noted by the BBC.
The defender, showing poacher’s instincts, tapped home with composure to silence the home crowd and ignite celebrations in the away end.
From there, Maresca’s men shifted gears. The focus turned from attack to control.
Chelsea flooded the midfield, slowed the tempo, and suffocated Forest’s attempts to build momentum.
Still, Forest wasn’t done. Deep into stoppage time, another opportunity fell to Wood.
It was a mirror of his first, this time with the stakes even higher, but again, he couldn’t keep his shot down.
The miss confirmed Chelsea’s return to Europe’s top table, while Forest were left to rue what could’ve been, per One Football.
Chelsea fans on cloud nine after UCL qualification
With the job done, Chelsea fans flooded social media to celebrate. X lit up with reactions ranging from playful jabs to heartfelt joy:
@FancyDiMaria_ poked fun at rivals:
"Atanfo b3kc low battery 🪫 😂"
@Mohamme53675904 kept it spiritual:
"Atanfo ny3 Nyame."
@only_alvaro34 declared the return of London’s elite:
"Heer Chelsea, back to UCL, proper London football is back."
@BabaBlueJay could hardly contain the excitement:
"The wait is over, we play for the Champions League next season!!!! lFG!!!!! 💙"
@Tech_Marcell summed it up:
"So deserved! Can't wait for those European nights 🎉"
With Champions League football now secured, attention shifts to one final hurdle.
Chelsea will look to end the season with silverware as they prepare for a Conference League showdown against Real Betis on Wednesday, May 28.
Reacting to Chelsea's qualification for the Champions League next season, Stephen Zando of Kumasi-based Luv FM told YEN.com.gh:
"Kudos to the Blues for rallying from behind to clinch a spot in next year's Champions League. I'm particularly impressed with Enzo Maresca's work; at a point in time, it looked like a mission impossible.
"Nonetheless, he and his boys did a yeoman's job to restore Chelsea among the big boys in Europe once again."
Reason Chelsea could be banned from the Champions League
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Chelsea's spot in next season's UEFA Champions League could be in jeopardy due to multi-club ownership restrictions.
The Blues share owners with French side Strasbourg under the BlueCo consortium, and UEFA regulations forbid two clubs with the same ownership from participating in the same European competition.
Source: YEN.com.gh
