Nottm Forest edge to victory over Crystal Palace in Premier League
Wood scores second-half winner with low shot that squirms past keeper Henderson
Result leaves Palace winless after eight games and in bottom three
Nottingham Forest 0-0 Crystal Palace
Alan Smith
Former Arsenal forward on Sky Sports
Nikola Milenkovic looks to be a very strewd signing by Forest. Similarly Murillo has loved it since he arrived at the City Ground, he hit the ground running last season.
It will be a big test for Eze, Kamada and co to break through that pairing.
Nottingham Forest 0-0 Crystal Palace
Almost!
Eberechi Eze drives towards the Forest goal, unleashing a bending shot from the edge of the box that flies just wide.
Forest keeper Matz Sels was rooted to his spot. He wasn't getting anywhere near it.
Image source, ReutersNottingham Forest 0-0 Crystal Palace
Decent opening period for Crystal Palace who have pressed high and won a couple of throw-ins.
But no proper chances just yet. Nikola Milenkovic, as is expected at this stage, is looking very comfortable sweeping anything up in the Forest defence.
Nottingham Forest 0-0 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace have started us off with some crisp passing in their own half.
Opta have sent me this by the way. Eddie Nketiah has 15 goals in 42 Premier League starts as opposed to four in 78 sub appearances.
Nottingham Forest 0-0 Crystal Palace
The players take a knee, which both fans applaud. And then we're off.
Image source, Getty ImagesNottingham Forest v Crystal Palace (20:00 BST)
Jamie Carragher
Former Liverpool defender on Sky Sports
A big characteristic about Nuno's teams is that they are set up well defensively. Their record last year from set pieces was horrendous and now they are first in the league, which is a huge change.
They are prepared to sit back, wait for their moment and they fancy themselves to keep a clean sheet and wait for a mistake to get a goal themselves.
Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace (20:00 BST)
The players are out. Crystal Palace's tracksuits are looking sharp.
Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace (20:00 BST)
Image source, Getty ImagesAlmost time for kick-off. Here's a stat for the xG lovers out there.
Only Erling Haaland (35) and Antoine Semenyo (31) have had more shots in the Premier League this season than Eberechi Eze (27). However, Eze has just one goal (a shot conversion rate of 3.7%), while only Bruno Fernandes (-1.9) is underperforming his expected goals more than the Crystal Palace man in the competition this term (-1.5, 1 goal from 2.5 xG).
Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace (20:00 BST)
Aaron Ramsey
Cardiff City and Wales midfielder on Sky Sports
There is a lot of experience in that Crystal Palace squad, and the club have been in the Premier League for a number of years now, but Michael Olise is a massive miss for them.
What he is now doing at Bayern Munich, the quality of player that he is, the impact he had for this Palace side, is a big miss. He is probably the best player to have come out of the club. That's not so easy to replace for a club like Palace.
Love the enthusiasm. Also guys, remember to leave your name on texts if you can.
#bbcfootball, WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)
I think the REDZ will win, I think Chris wood is going to use his experience and goal instincts in this game to get us a couple of goals, I think we could have the likes of Nketiah taunting us as he was meant to join us, overall I recon 4-1 Forest, first win at home this season and it's going to be a BELTA!!!
Anon
Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace (20:00 BST)
Crystal Palace need the win more, that is for sure. You can tell by listening to their manager Oliver Glasner that he knows he needs a positive result quickly, just to get that spark from last season back.
Glasner wants to play this expansive brand of football but results mean a bit of doubt has crept in, and that is really evident from their performances.
This all points towards a Nottingham Forest home win, which is what I am going with, but the good news for Palace is that every time I predict one of those, they stuff it up - Forest are yet to win at the City Ground this season.
Sutton's prediction: 1-0
Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace (20:00 BST)
Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo speaking to Sky Sports: "Routine is important but due to circumstances that has made us change some things.
On his absence from the touchline: "I don't see any positives about it, but you never know. It is what it is, it happened, but as a coaching staff we are trying not to disrupt anything so we have worked on how we will communicate. The most important thing is the players and their focus.
"Rui is ready. It is always a team effort in terms of coaching staff, so he is ready to step in."
On Crystal Palace: "It is always tough to play Palace, quality players, talented players up front. Strong at the back. It is going to be tough for us. We have to stay strong."
Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace (20:00 BST)
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Nuno underrated? Only if we forget what he achieved with Wolves. Now how about Milenkovic? Our defence has vastly improved and he’s been a huge reason for that. He looks at home in the Premier League and a steal at £12 million.
Andrew
Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace (20:00 BST)
Image source, Getty ImagesCrystal Palace have drawn three and lost four of their seven Premier League games this season; not since 1992-93 have the Eagles failed to win any of their opening eight league matches of a campaign.
Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace (20:00 BST)
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner speaking to PLP: "Seven English players start and they know each other well. Many of them are from South London and understand the importance of playing for Crystal Palace. We hope that they can lead the team on the pitch.
On games being very close this season: "The games are decided at both ends of the pitch, in both boxes, so it is important to get that bit right. We feel that we are closed but when you don't win for several games you lose confidence.
"I see how hard the players work during the week but it is also important not to think so much about it. We know the situation and we are working to turn it around.
On Palace's bad run: "We need to not talk so much about 'we need a win, we need a win,' we need to improve our performances, not dramatically but a little bit. Then we will get the wins as a result.
"They have a lot of pace on the wing and play with a typical number nine, and they have looked very stable this season and made a good start. I expect a tough game but I hope we get the better of it and get the win."
Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace (20:00 BST)
I've had a rethink and I reckon there's plenty of reasons why this game could end as a high-scoring thriller.
The main one is that I'm in a BBC Sport head-to-head Fantasy league and the person I'm up against this week has, for some reason known only to them, stacked their team with Forest and Palace stars.
Thanks Rob, and to everyone else who has got in touch. Keep your messages coming in.
#bbcfootball, WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)
This is where Glasner shows how good he is and we exploit Forest's poor home form. The season starts here; 1-3 Palace.
Rob
Dean Henderson's error allowed Chris Wood to score Nottingham Forest's winner
Dean Henderson's mistake piled more misery on winless Crystal Palace as Chris Wood sealed victory for Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
The Palace goalkeeper, in front of watching interim England manager Lee Carsley, allowed Wood's second-half strike to squirm under his arm.
Oliver Glasner's Eagles remain in the Premier League's bottom three, while Forest rise to eighth after their first home win of the season.
Eberechi Eze and Eddie Nketiah hit the woodwork for Palace, while Ryan Yates also nodded on to a post for the hosts.
Palace enjoyed the better of a bright opening and Eze went close before Nketiah's fine 30-yard effort clipped the upright, but after a slow start Forest roused themselves and Elliott Anderson's excellent run and shot forced Henderson into action.
Wood headed over before being denied by Jefferson Lerma on the line as Forest continued to create chances, and Yates' header came back off the post after 22 minutes.
Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo - watching from the stands as he starts a three-game touchline ban - would have been encouraged, but Palace regrouped and Matz Sels turned Eze's drive on to the bar after the break.
But Wood struck with 25 minutes left when he seized on Trevoh Chalobah's clearance and his first-time effort from 20 yards crept under Henderson's arm.
Sels then ensured Forest took all three points with another fine save, this time denying Jeffrey Schlupp with 10 minutes left.
Nuno Espirito Santo 'delighted' with first home win
Nottingham Forest's search for a striker took them to several targets in the summer, but they know they can rely on Chris Wood.
Nketiah, PSV's Santiago Gimenez and Porto's Galeno were all wanted, but Wood is Forest's go-to man.
The forward became just the third player to score 20 or more goals for Forest in the Premier League with his winner, behind Bryan Roy and Stan Collymore.
He could have scored earlier in the game but persistence paid off, and few will blame him for those failures now the points are secured.
It was his fifth league goal of the season and shows why he is integral to Forest under Nuno.
Before the Portuguese manager arrived Wood scored just six league goals in a season and a half, before netting four in Nuno's first two games, including a hat-trick in the win at Newcastle last December.
Another seven followed, and the New Zealand forward has hit the ground running this season, just when Forest needed him to after missing out on adding their strikeforce.
Defeat at Forest 'frustrating and disappointing', says Oliver Glasner
Crystal Palace ended last season with six wins from their final seven games and their immediate future looked bright.
They had a joint-highest points tally in the Premier League, and a new manager who had won the Europa League two years previously.
Now, after defeat at the City Ground, they are on their longest winless start to a season in 31 years.
Manager Glasner has already said the first goal is not to get relegated and, as it stands, it should be the only one.
They are the lowest scorers in the division with five, and need Nketiah to find his feet.
Forest wanted Nketiah in the summer but he faded after his early strike hit the post and is not a like-for-like replacement for Michael Olise – such a loss after he joined Bayern Munich in the summer - who had a brilliant understanding with Eze.
Yet after paying about £30m to sign him from Arsenal the striker needs goals.
After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 21 |
| |
| 2 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 9 | 10 | 20 |
| |
| 3 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 17 |
| |
| 4 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 17 |
| |
| 5 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 15 |
| |
| 6 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 14 |
| |
| 7 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 13 |
| |
| 8 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 13 |
| |
| 9 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 12 |
| |
| 10 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| |
| 11 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 11 |
| |
| 12 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 9 | -2 | 11 |
| |
| 13 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 15 | -1 | 10 |
| |
| 14 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 14 | -2 | 9 |
| |
| 15 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 15 | -4 | 8 |
| |
| 16 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 15 | -6 | 8 |
| |
| 17 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 16 | -10 | 4 |
| |
| 18 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 3 |
| |
| 19 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 18 | -12 | 1 |
| |
| 20 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 23 | -13 | 1 |
|
Manager: Rui Pedro Silva
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Oliver Glasner
Formation: 3 - 1 - 4 - 2
Manager: Rui Pedro Silva
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Oliver Glasner
Formation: 3 - 1 - 4 - 2
Premier League
All competitions
All competitions
All competitions
Nottingham Forest are unbeaten in their last seven league games against Crystal Palace (W2 D5). However, five of the last six have been draws, including each of the last three in a row.
Crystal Palace are winless in their last 10 top-flight meetings with Nottingham Forest (D6 L4), since a 1-0 away win in February 1991.
Nottingham Forest have never lost in eight Premier League meetings with Crystal Palace (W3 D5). It’s both the most they’ve faced a side without losing and the most the Eagles have faced a side without winning in the competition.
In all competitions, Nottingham Forest are winless in seven games at the City Ground (D4 L3). It’s their longest run without a home win since October 2020 (also 7), while they last went longer in February 2012 (8), a run which included a 0-1 defeat to Crystal Palace in the Championship.
Crystal Palace have drawn three and lost four of their seven Premier League games this season; not since 1992-93 have the Eagles failed to win any of their opening eight league matches of a campaign.
In the Premier League this season, no side has recorded fewer total pressures in the final third (233), fewer high turnovers (32), or has a higher passes per defensive action (PPDA) average (15.3) than Nottingham Forest.
Crystal Palace have lost both of their last two Premier League games, last losing three in a row in the competition in March 2023 (run of 4).
Only Diogo Dalot (48) and Iliman Ndiaye (47) have won possession more times in the Premier League this season than Adam Wharton (46). Meanwhile, the midfielder has been involved in 15 build-up sequences ending in a shot in the competition this term, the most of any Crystal Palace player.
Chris Wood has scored six of Nottingham Forest’s last nine Premier League goals, and has 19 goals for them overall in the division. He is looking to become the third player to score 20+ for the Tricky Trees in the competition, after Bryan Roy (24) and Stan Collymore (22).
Only Erling Haaland (35) and Antoine Semenyo (31) have had more shots in the Premier League this season than Eberechi Eze (27). However, Eze has just one goal (a shot conversion rate of 3.7%), while only Bruno Fernandes (-1.9) is underperforming his expected goals more than the Crystal Palace man in the competition this term (-1.5, 1 goal from 2.5 xG).
