Gary Neville gives final top-five Premier League prediction with shock Chelsea verdict

Gary Neville believes Chelsea and Nottingham Forest will cancel one another out with a draw in their crunch Premier League final-day clash, resulting in both missing out on Champions League qualification.

Going down to the final day of the 2024/25 campaign, five clubs split by a single point have been left to battle for the three remaining qualification spaces.

As things stand are masters of their own fate, sitting fourth with a superior goal difference than two of their rivals. One of those rivals, Forest, are and Co.'s opposition on the final day of the season.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

Now, the Blues' position could be weakened before the weekend - moving down to fifth - if Manchester City pick up at least one point in their game in hand against Bournemouth on Tuesday night.

Regardless, the message Chelsea's stars must receive is that only victory will do.

"They’ll give Chelsea a tough day. 100 percent. I’m not really sure Chelsea are going to go there and win, I’ll be honest with you," predicted with scepticism of the Londoners on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football.

"I do feel - it depends what Old Trafford is like on Sunday [for Aston Villa], it could be euphoric or it could be a difficult atmosphere depending on what happens on Wednesday night."

Villa are below the Blues on goal difference and their opposition, Manchester United, face Tottenham Hotspur in Wednesday's Europa League final.

"I think if Villa win, they’ll get into the Champions League because Forest will take points off Chelsea," Neville added.

"If I knew that [what Man United will be like vs Villa]… If that trophy parade is on, it will be euphoric in the sense of winning the trophy, bringing the Europa League back, but if they weren’t to win it would be a very difficult place.

"I think United will win, which makes it tougher for Villa on Sunday. If Villa can win at Old Trafford I do think they’ll get into the Champions League."

interjected, suggesting: "I think Chelsea and Nottingham Forest might both miss out, I see that being a draw.

"I don’t think Chelsea win there. The atmosphere will be electric, Nottingham Forest deserve that. I’m not sure Chelsea have the character to go there and win. Villa and City go in [as well as Newcastle]."

Agreeing, Neville concluded: "If I was predicting here now, City and Villa go in. I think Chelsea and Forest will probably draw."

For clarity, for this to happen Villa would have to beat Neville's beloved Man United and Man City collect one more point from their two fixtures.