One week after their impressive victory at Old Trafford against Manchester United, Crystal Palace return to Selhurst Park for a Premier League encounter with Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening.
The Eagles currently sit ninth in the Premier League table, three points ahead of Nottingham Forest, who are looking to end a three-game winless streak.
Despite Old Trafford not being the fortress it once was, few managers have achieved success when visiting Manchester United over the years. However, Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace squad defied the odds by securing a 1-0 victory over Manchester United last weekend.
A powerful first-half volley from Joachim Andersen was enough for the Eagles to secure maximum points. At 76 years old, Hodgson not only became the first-ever visiting Premier League manager to avoid defeat in five successive trips to Old Trafford but also the second coach, after Pep Guardiola, to win three consecutive games with the same club at the Theatre of Dreams.
Although Palace have collected seven of their 11 Premier League points away from home this season, they return to Selhurst Park on Saturday in pursuit of their fourth top-flight victory of the campaign. A win could potentially move them into the top seven before the international break, depending on other results. The Eagles have not won back-to-back league games since April, and their upcoming match against Forest present a challenge, as they have never defeated Forest in their six previous Premier League encounters.
Crystal Palace have lost only two of their last 13 home games in the Premier League, but their last meeting with Forest ended in a 1-1 draw in May. Furthermore, their last victory against Forest in any competition dates back to December 2011 when Glenn Murray’s goal secured a 1-0 away win while both teams were competing in the Championship.
Nottingham Forest have struggled to build on their impressive 1-0 win against Chelsea at the start of last month. They have earned just two points from a three-game winless streak, with 1-1 home draws against Burnley and Brentford sandwiching a 2-0 loss to Man City.
In their previous match, Forest faced the possibility of defeat when Moussa Niakhate received a red card midway through the second half. However, deadline-day signing Nicolas Dominguez equalized with a header in the 65th minute, and Forest secured a draw.
Despite that point, Foresy have dropped to 12th place in the Premier League table, four points above the relegation zone. A victory in their upcoming match against Crystal Palace would allow them to climb back into the top half and level on points with their opponents.
Forest’s away record have been less than stellar, earning only five points from their last 42 available on the road since January. However, all five of those points have come in London, with impressive results against Chelsea and a draw against Palace five months ago. Forest have not lost in their last six visits to Selhurst Park and have consistently found the net in those encounters, which could bode well for their chances on Saturday.
CRYSTAL PALACE VS. NOTTINGHAM FOREST MATCH DETAILS
- Date: Saturday, 7 October, 2023
- Venue: Selhurst Park
- Location: London
- Kick-off Time: 17:30 BST
- Referee: Craig Pawson.
- Assistants: Richard West, Marc Perry.
- Fourth official: Chris Kavanagh.
- VAR: Michael Salisbury
- Assistant VAR: Sian Massey-Ellis
Palace have some of the most passionate and loyal fans in the Premier League and the game is expected to be sold out. However, match going fans can still buy Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest tickets at reputable reselling sites like Seatsnet.com.
CRYSTAL PALACE VS. NOTTINGHAM FOREST STATS AND HEAD-TO-HEAD
Crystal Palace have kept just one clean sheet in their last six matches across all competitions, while Nottingham Forest have only recorded one clean sheet in their last seven matches across all competitions.
Odsonne Edouard has been in fine form in the Premier League, scoring four goals, which is only surpassed by Son Heung-min with five and Erling Haaland with eight. Taiwo Awoniyi, Forest’s forward, is just one goal behind Edouard.
In their previous encounter last season, this fixture ended in a 1-1 draw. Palace have scored first in two of their last three Premier League matches, with the other ending in a goalless draw.
These two teams have not faced each other frequently in recent times, with their last Premier League meetings occurring in 2012. Palace is on a winless streak of five matches against Forest and have not defeated them since December 2011.
Forest have received the most yellow cards in the league this season, with 21, and have also seen one red card while Palace have accumulated only nine bookings.
Forest have scored in all of their Premier League fixtures except at Etihad where they lost 2-0 to the current champions, Manchester City
CRYSTAL PALACE VS. NOTTINGHAM FOREST TEAM NEWS
Crystal Palace are dealing with a series of injuries, with star midfielder Eberechi Eze expected to be out for up to six weeks due to a hamstring injury. Additionally, Michael Olise and Jefferson Lerma are nursing hamstring problems, while Dean Henderson, Matheus Franca, James Tomkins, and Naouirou Ahamada are sidelined with various injuries.
Due to the midfield absences, Jairo Riedewald or Jeffery Schlupp may start in midfield alongside Cheick Doucoure and Will Hughes.
Academy graduate Jesurun Rak-Sakyi could earn his first Premier League start in the front three alongside Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jordan Ayew, but Odsonne Edouard may also be available for selection after returning to training from a hamstring injury.
Nottingham Forest are dealing with injuries to Danilo and Wayne Hennessey, while Niakhite is suspended after receiving a red card in the previous match. Dominguez, Ryan Yates, and Ola Aina are being assessed for fitness, with Joe Worrall and Morgan Gibbs-White hoping to return to the starting lineup.
CRYSTAL PALACE VS. NOTTINGHAM FOREST PREDICTED LINEUP
Crystal Palace predicted lineup: Johnstone; Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Riedewald, Doucoure, Hughes; Ayew, Mateta, Schlupp
Nottingham Forest predicted lineup: Turner; Aurier, Boly, Murillo, Tavares; Sangare, Mangala, Dominguez; Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Awoniyi
CRYSTAL PALACE VS. NOTTINGHAM FOREST PREDICTION
The absence of Eze is undoubtedly a significant loss for Palace, and Hodgson will rely on someone else to provide the creative spark against Forest. Forest have been relatively prolific in front of goal this season, having scored in six of their first seven league games, making it crucial for Palace to maintain defensive solidity.
With Edouard and Awoniyi’s goal-scoring form, there’s a good chance that one of them could open the scoring, especially considering Palace’s tendency to do so in recent matches. Both teams will approach this game as an opportunity for victory, but given their evenly-matched quality, a draw at Selhurst Park is a plausible outcome.
