Chris Wood finally gave the City Ground a home win as Nottingham Forest kept Crystal Palace winless in the 2024-25 Premier League season with a 1-0 victory on Monday.
Wood’s fifth goal of the season pushes Forest to eighth on the Premier League table as Nuno Espirito Santo’s men continue to impress early in the season.
WATCH NOTTINGHAM FOREST vs CRYSTAL PALACE LIVE
Oliver Glasner’s Palace have just three points this season, scoring just five times and drawing thrice with five losses despite a middling list of fixtures. Their away form has been poor, without a single point from four matches.
The Eagles weren’t bad on Monday but failed to find finish with despite 20 shot attempts and about a full expected goal. Better luck next time for the 18th-place side.
Fortunate favors form club in entertaining 90 minutes
There were 40 shot attempts split evenly between the Tricky Trees and Eagles, with posts struck and near misses dotting a fun 90 minutes in West Bridgford. Eddie Nketiah and Eberechi Eze were especially dangerous for the Eagles, but it just feels like their run of bad luck in front of goal was set to continue just as Forest’s good vibes were prepared to push forward. Wood was very dangerous and could’ve scored a hat trick another day, but he’ll take the one goal and hope that Forest’s form fires forward to Friday at Leicester City. Palace, meanwhile, wait a bit longer for Premier League season win No. 1.
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Crystal Palace player ratings (via fotmob.com)
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Crystal Palace player ratings (via fotmob.com)
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Crystal Palace player ratings (via fotmob.com)
What’s next?
Forest kick off Week 9 of the Premier League season with a 3pm ET Friday trip to Leicester City, while Palace host Tottenham in a London derby at 10am ET Sunday.
How to watch Nottingham Forest vs Crystal Palace live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 3pm ET Monday
Venue: City Ground
TV Channel: USA Network
Streaming: Stream online via NBC.com
Nottingham Forest vs Crystal Palace final score: 1-0
Chris Wood 65'
Nottingham Forest vs Crystal Palace live updates — By Nick Mendola
Full time — Forest 1-0 Palace
The Tricky Trees improve to 1W-2D-1L at home this season.
Two Forest subs after Callum Hudson-Odoi injury
Goal scorer Chris Wood and winger Callum Hudson-Odoi see their days come to a close, the latter after suffering an on-field injury.
Taiwo Awoniyi and Ramon Sosa come into the game in the 84th minute as Forest hope to close this out.
Chris Wood goal! Forest 1-0 Crystal Palace (65th minute)
The Kiwi is farther out from goal than most of his markers, but it works for Forest.
Chris Wood runs onto a loose ball outside the 18 and reaches out to snap an early shot toward the near post.
Henderson dives but can only push his ex-teammate’s low shot inside the goal for 1-0!
Sels again!
Eze tears into a short-played set piece, turning his ankle outward to produce a wicked curve toward Sels.
The Forest keeper pushes it off the bar and it remains scoreless at the hour mark.
Double save (offside, but...)
Oooooh-weee! What a bit of work from Matz Sels.
Daniel Munoz slips as he crosses into the mixer, and the ball ricochets to Eberechi Eze.
His shot is saved by Dean Henderson and floats in the air for Daichi Kamada, who can only nudge the ball off Henderson’s leg!
Kamada was offside but it’s a fine moment for, perhaps, England’s most-underpraised Premier League goalkeeper.
Halftime — Forest 0-0 Palace
A sliding chance from Chris Wood before halftime caps off a too-brief but fun exchange started by a number of blocked Palace shots in and around the Forest 18.
The teams finish with nine shot attempts each in the first 45 minutes, and fotmob credits Forest with four big chances from the scoreless frame.
Say it with me: All to play for in the second half.
Off the goal post!
Forest are producing danger.
Alex Moreno heads a clearance back into the Palace box, and captain Ryan Yates nods it over Henderson.
But the ball clips the far post and bounces out!
0-0, 24'.
Slow boil finally producing bubbles
There wasn’t much material coming from the City Ground prior for nearly 15 minutes, but now things are buzzing toward a goal.
First, Eberechi Eze cues up Eddie Nketiah for a shot inside the 18 that has to be rushed and is saved by Matz Sels.
Then Forest snap to life at the other end, forcing an intervention out of Dean Henderson. The ground is growing in noise, too!
Nottingham Forest lineup
Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno, Dominguez, Yates, Anderson, Elanga, Hudson-Odoi, Wood.
Crystal Palace lineup
Henderson, Munoz, Lacroix, Guehi, Chalobah, Mitchell, Hughes, Lerma, Kamada, Nketiah, Eze.
Nottingham Forest focus, team news
OUT: Danilo (ankle), Ibrahim Sangare (undisclosed), James Ward-Prowse (suspension) | QUESTIONABLE: Morgan Gibbs-White (ankle), Matz Sels (adductor)
Crystal Palace focus, team news
OUT: Chadi Riad (knee), Matt Turner (loan - unable to face parent club), Rob Holding (undisclosed), Chris Richards (thigh), Matheus Franca (chest/abdominal) | QUESTIONABLE: Cheick Doucoure (ankle), Daniel Munoz (groin), Adam Wharton (groin)
Nottingham Forest vs Crystal Palace prediction
This is a huge run of fixtures for Forest’s season ambitions, as Palace, Leicester, West Ham, and Newcastle are next on the list. None of them are in strong form and only the Foxes fixture is away from home. Palace, too, have a chance to collect points before the November break but it feels like it has to start here. Nervy? Forest 1-1 Palace.
