Nottingham Forest dropped more points in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification as they drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
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After Daniel Munoz and Anthony Elanga went close before the break, Monday’s contest sparked into life in the second half when Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels was penalised for a challenge on Tyrick Mitchell following a VAR review.
Eberechi Eze converted the resulting spot-kick to put FA Cup finalists Palace ahead on the hour mark, though Murillo restored parity with a clever flick four minutes later.
Having seen fellow Champions League contenders Manchester City, Chelsea and Aston Villa pick up victories over the weekend, Forest were forced to hold on when Eze struck the crossbar before Eddie Nketiah saw a goal disallowed for offside during a lengthy period of stoppage time.
The draw leaves Forest in sixth, two points off the top five with three games remaining, while Palace stay in 12th.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
38 | +35 | 74 |
| 3 |
Man City
MCI
|
38 | +28 | 71 |
| 4 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
38 | +21 | 69 |
| 5 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
38 | +21 | 66 |
| 6 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
38 | +7 | 66 |
| 7 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
38 | +12 | 65 |
How the match unfolded
Palace nearly undid themselves as Mitchell’s wayward header drew Dean Henderson into a sharp reflex save.
Munoz went close at the other end, forcing Sels into a brilliant low save, though Henderson had to be alert to deny Elanga off a quick Forest counter-attack.
Sels saved well from Ismaila Sarr before Chris Wood saw a deflected strike trickle wide in the second half, but Palace got the breakthrough soon after. Mitchell was brought down by Sels, and after a VAR review, referee Andrew Madley overturned his decision of no penalty.
Eze made no mistake from the spot, firing in to the bottom-left corner.
But Palace’s elation was short-lived. Following a corner, Neco Williams drilled in a low shot that Murillo turned home with a deft flick.
Murillo subsequently went off injured, and Palace almost capitalised when Eze curled against the crossbar prior to Nketiah tapping in, though the offside flag went up swiftly as Forest held firm.
Eze shines but Palace’s winless run rolls on
Despite the positive performance, Palace have now not won any of their last five Premier League games, last having a longer dry spell when going eight matches without a win at the start of this season.
But in that run, Oliver Glasner’s team did claim a dominant win over Villa in the FA Cup semi-final, and they started well, with Maxence Lacroix rippling the side netting just five minutes in, although Mitchell’s misjudged header served as a warning for the hosts, who sought to tighten up their defence as Forest grew into the match.
Eze lit up the second half, though, linking up smartly with Jean-Philippe Mateta and Sarr before calmly dispatching his penalty to hand Palace the lead.
Despite Forest’s fightback, Glasner can undoubtedly take heart from his side’s strong finish, with Eze, Nketiah, and Will Hughes all threatening a late winner.
Palace now turn their attention to next weekend’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur, before their FA Cup final showdown against Man City at Wembley Stadium.
Forest’s European dream hangs in the balance
It has not been easy going for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side of late, with defeats to Villa, Everton and Brentford hampering their Champions League hopes.
Their FA Cup semi-final loss to Man City only added to their woes, and while Forest have stopped the mini-rot – and a point could still prove to be extremely useful – it is wins that they really need if they are to dine at Europe’s top table next season.
But what will please Nuno is the show of resilience after his team fell behind. They got right back on the attack and Murillo displayed quick-thinking for their equaliser.
Murillo’s injury will be of concern for Forest, who will hope it is nothing serious. The centre-back has been a mainstay of one of the league’s best-performing defences, which has been the bedrock of their success this term.
Yet Forest dug deep, seeing off the late Palace pressure – even if they did rely on the woodwork to come to their rescue at one point, and their Champions League dream is still on.
Next up, Forest host already-relegated Leicester City – an opportunity Nuno will be eager to seize as his side look to stay in the race.
Club reports
What the managers said
Oliver Glasner: "Very intense game, how we expected it and we have to accept the points. The winning mentality to the team showed, they really wanted to get the winner but they fought. It's not easy against a team like Nottingham. I'm really pleased with the performance today."
Nuno Espirito Santo: "We reacted good form the previous performance and from the blow we got from the penalty of Palace. We were in control of the game. We created and dominated a lot. Second half was different. Good reaction but Palace created problems."
Remaining PL fixtures
Key facts
Palace remain winless in their previous nine league meetings with Forest (D6 L3), with four of the last five encounters ending in a draw.
Forest have conceded the opening goal in four of their last five Premier League games (W1 D1 L3), as many times as in their previous 18 games in the competition. Indeed, Forest have won only one of their 10 league games in 2024/25 in which they’ve conceded first (D1 L8).
Eze’s 22 goal involvements for Palace in all competitions this season (10 goals, 12 assists) is his joint-most in a campaign in his club career along with 2019/20 (14 goals, 8 assists).
Morgan Gibbs-White started his 100th Premier League game for Nottingham Forest, becoming the ninth player for the club to do so, while at the age of 25 years and 98 days, became the youngest to do so.
