Astute Enzo Maresca is building Chelsea’s history-making team, but Todd Boehly must make two more key signings

The heart goes out to Nuno Espirito Santo.

His fine work this season turning Nottingham Forest into contenders will surely be recognised by the League Managers’ Association this week.

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Forest, so long in the Champions League positions, ended up in the UEFA Conference League, but their fans stayed on after defeat to Chelsea to give an emotional salute to Nuno and his team.

Nuno and Forest can reflect on a good season, their best since reaching the quarter- finals of the UEFA Cup 29 years ago.

This time last year Forest were fighting for their Premier League lives.

They can reflect on some superb individual performances through the spine of their side from Matz Sels to Nikola Milenkovic to Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood.

Given they were amongst the favourites for relegation at the start of the season, Nuno and his players deserved the applause from their fans.

The Trent End sent out a message, a mural of ‘take us on a trip,’ accompanied by a banner declaring ‘Destination Europe’ and an image of a bus in Forest colours.

Nuno and his players delivered European football, third-tier but still it was time to dig out the passports.

The head, though, has to nod respectfully in the direction of Enzo Maresca, who not only has dealt calmly with all the politics at Chelsea, but showed his astute game-management in closing this game down after Levi Colwill struck five minutes into the second half.

Of course, Maresca has an abundance of resources, a contrast to Nuno, but he used them expertly. This was Maresca’s day.

Colwill will get the headlines for his decisive goal, Marc Cucurella should get a BAFTA for some of his theatrics, but it was Maresca who ensured Chelsea progressed into the Champions League.

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Maresca’s managerial credentials get frequently questioned, and his future would surely have been in doubt had Chelsea slipped up here.

The way Chelsea’s co-owner, Todd Boehly, marched on the field after the final whistle, beaming ear to ear, highlighted how much Maresca’s employers value boarding the Champions League gravy-train.

For some owners, it is more important than a trophy, possibly for Boehly more important than the UEFA Conference League final against Real Betis on Wednesday.

The game is about money for most owners, inevitably so in the age of PSR, and especially at Chelsea with so much lavished on the squad, not always necessarily.

Chelsea’s captain, Reece James, and their goalscorer here, Colwill, came through the academy. Two of their own.

Yet they share a field with Moises Caicedo, who cost £115milliob, and continues to deliver high-level performances, comfortably their player of the season.

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Chelsea still need an elite-level goalkeeper.

Robert Sanchez made some important collections under pressure, but was badly caught out as the first half closed and was grateful Chris Wood shovelled his effort wide.

They still an elite-level centre-forward. Nicolas Jackson was suspended here, and has never completely convinced.

Pedro Neto, the 5ft 8in winger, attempted to fill the role but struggled against centre-backs of the quality of Milenkovic and Murillo.

But Maresca is building a team, helped by James’ on-field leadership.

Marc Cucurella could have qualified for RADA as well as for the Champions League such was his theatrics at one point.

However irritating, the Spanish international is a terrific left-back.

Maresca’s success will allow him to keep building, and strengthening around the likes of James and Cucurella, Colwill and Caicedo, Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez.

This was almost a classic European away performance by Maresca and his team.

Chelsea knew that victory guaranteed Champions League qualification regardless of how Newcastle United and Aston Villa fared.

They withstood Forest’s first-half pressure, Caicedo chopping down Gibbs-White, and breathing a sigh of relief when Wood shot wide before seizing the lead through Colwill.

Chelsea knew they had to quicken their attack to catch out a defence ably shielded by the excellent Ibrahim Sangare.

So when Palmer touched the ball inside, Caicedo returned it, and the England international swept it towards the six-yard box.

Murillo’s clearance fell perfectly for Jadon Sancho, who laid it right to Cucurella.

His dinked ball troubled Neco Williams, leaning backwards, and the defender could only help it into the path of Neto.

The Portuguese instantly turned the ball across for Colwill to tap in.

Forest had to score: even a goal and a point would get them into a Europa League position (on goal difference over Villa) with Villa trailing to Manchester United.

Nuno made attacking changes, including Callum Hudson-Odoi for Sangare. But it was Maresca’s defensive alterations that dominated the game.

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He sacrificed width for work-rate, stiffening his midfield with Romeo Lavia on for the ineffectual Sancho.

On loan from Manchester United, Sancho did nothing here to suggest he’d be worth keeping.

Nuno withdrew a full-back, Ola Aina, shifted Williams to the right, and sent on an attacker, Jota Silva.

Maresca responded. Malo Gusto came on for Neto, helping James on the right. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall replaced Noni Madueke on the left.

Nuno had no more real cards to play. Taiwo Awoniyi was present, thankfully recovered from his abdominal surgery, but still out of action.

Wood had a late chance during eight minutes of added time when hope lived then died, but pride survived.