Nottingham Forest 2-3 Chelsea: Hosts are made to wait until the final day for survival to be confirmed... as Blues remain on track for Europe

For Chelsea, European football remains a somewhat surprise ambition for next season, with Mauricio Pochettino's side on the hunt for Conference and even Europa League football.

It's been a roller coaster of a campaign for the Blues, who had been lingering in mid-table until a late flourish that has seen the the Todd Boehly era finally somewhat kick into gear late on in its second season.

At the other end of the table, Nottingham Forest's fate is almost sealed. Luton's defeat at West Ham earlier on Saturday meant a major final day goal difference swing was needed for the Hatters to earn another year in the Premier League pending the result in Nottingham, and, though the remains the case, hope is as slim as can be.

Rob Edwards' side have fought tooth and nail this season but the top division has been a step too far on this occasion. On 26 points, they are three short of Forest with a goal difference deficit of 12.

Narrow survival will be nothing to be celebrated for Nuno Espirito Santo's side. Their passionate owner Evangelos Marinakis had hoped to kick on this term following a season of consolidation. They can now almost start planning for another year in the top flight, but having to wait until next week for confirmation will be a frustration that will linger.

When Nicolas Jackson jumped into the away end with eight minutes left on the clock, a collective groan could be heard around the City Ground, with fans knowing there was a slim chance of the impossible happening next week in Burnley. It would be typical of Forest's season.

The stadium was silent as Tony Harrington blue the final whistle - bar a small section of fans that had made the trip from the capital - with fans leaving glum and disappointed, a contrast to the feel inside the ground at the start of the game.

It was Forest who started the game the better side. Chelsea seemed somewhat nervous, perhaps anxious of the unexpected opportunity that has presented itself to them.

Cole Palmer, though, as he so often has, stepped up. It was an eye-of-the-needle pass, one we have become so accustomed to this season, that set up a rejuvenated Mykhailo Mudryk, who had cut inside and showed the confidence to slot past Matz Sels.

The away end celebrated. Things were finally coming together. For eight minutes, anyway.

They crossed their fingers as a lengthy VAR check threatened to rule out Willy Boly's second goal of the season, but he was narrowly behind Benoit Badiashile when Morgan Gibbs-White floated in a beauty of a free kick and finished the job to head home.

A point settled Forest 100 times more than Chelsea as the game progressed, but three would do too and Callum Hudson-Odoi put his side in position to achieve just that when he found the far post 16 minutes from time. It has hands in the air for the former Chelsea man once linked with Bayern Munich - an effort Blues fans had hoped they would be seeing in their own shirt when he burst on the scene as a teenager.

It had looked as though it would be back to square one for Chelsea, their hard work of the last few weeks all for nothing. But Raheem Sterling came off the bench to equalise, and Jackson headed in moments later to turn the game on its head again.

It was Reece James' cross that set up the goal, the Blues captain fit again after 153 days out with his latest injury. He will hope this is a sign of what next season will bring, while 17 goals - and counting - for Jackson so far in his debut season is not to be scoffed at.

'Maybe we are not happy,' Pochettino said in the build-up to the game. His first season in charge of Chelsea can't have gone as expected, but securing a European tour next season may allow him to crack a smile.