Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest Predictions

Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest Preview: Glasner Returns to Selhurst Park as Forest Target Away Victory. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.

Oliver Glasner returns to Selhurst Park on Sunday, October 11, as Nottingham Forest face Crystal Palace in a Premier League encounter shaped by contrasting home and away fortunes.

Three Punchy Stats

• 11 goals conceded: Palace have the Premier League's second-worst defensive record after five matches.
• Four away points: Forest have drawn at Liverpool and beaten Aston Villa.
• 11 meetings unbeaten: Forest have avoided defeat in their last 11 encounters against Palace.

The Austrian enjoyed considerable success during his Palace tenure, delivering FA Cup, Community Shield and Conference League silverware. Now tasked with rebuilding Forest, he faces a former club struggling to translate cup success into domestic consistency.

Both sides have registered just one league victory this season, making this an important opportunity to build momentum after the extended international break.

Palace's defensive problems threaten to undermine Sage

Pierre Sage has maintained Palace's impressive cup pedigree, overseeing convincing victories against Middlesbrough and Lech Poznan.

Those successes produced seven unanswered goals, highlighting the attacking quality available to the Eagles. However, their Premier League performances have exposed significant vulnerabilities.

Palace sit 15th after winning only once in five matches, conceding 11 goals along the way. Only Chelsea have allowed more.

Their home league results are particularly concerning. Manchester City secured a 4-1 victory at Selhurst Park before Ipswich Town inflicted another defeat, winning 3-2.

Despite scoring in both encounters, Palace struggled to contain opposition attacks, particularly when matches became stretched.

A goalless draw at Leeds United before the international break offered encouragement, but Sage must demonstrate that defensive improvement can be sustained.

The Eagles have also failed to defeat Forest since December 2011, when Glenn Murray scored the winner in a Championship meeting.

Forest's away performances offer Glasner encouragement

Nottingham Forest have experienced their own difficulties, particularly at the City Ground, where goals have proved elusive.

Their latest setback came against newly promoted Coventry City, with Jay Dasilva scoring the decisive goal.

Forest have failed to score in four competitive home fixtures this season, but their away performances tell a different story.

A 2-2 draw at Liverpool demonstrated their ability to compete against established opposition, while a 2-1 victory at Aston Villa provided evidence of their attacking potential.

Those results have delivered four away points, a return bettered by only three Premier League clubs.

Glasner's familiarity with Palace could also prove valuable. His understanding of the club's established playing principles may help Forest identify opportunities to exploit defensive weaknesses.

Morgan Gibbs-White represents another major threat. The England international has created five big chances and contributed directly to three of Forest's four league goals, recording one goal and two assists.

Liam Delap, meanwhile, opened his Forest account against Aston Villa and provides a focal point for their attacking transitions.

Team news and tactical outlook

Palace welcome Anan Khalaili and Ismaila Sarr back into contention, strengthening Sage's attacking options.

However, Dean Henderson, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Chadi Riad remain unavailable, while Axel Disasi serves a suspension.

Those absences leave Palace particularly vulnerable defensively, increasing the importance of midfield protection from Adam Wharton and Timber.

Forest also have selection concerns. Igor Jesus faces an extended absence with a calf injury, while Nikola Milenkovic is expected to miss Sunday's encounter.

Neco Williams remains doubtful after developing a fever following international duty.

Tactically, Palace must balance their attacking ambition against Forest's ability to exploit space on the counterattack.

Sarr's pace could trouble the visitors, but Forest possess sufficient attacking quality through Gibbs-White, Delap and Ndoye to punish defensive mistakes.

Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest Prediction

Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-2 Nottingham Forest

Palace's attacking record at Selhurst Park suggests they can find the net, having scored in seven consecutive home matches across competitions.

However, their defensive difficulties and Forest's encouraging away performances favour the visitors.

Glasner's tactical familiarity adds another intriguing dimension, with Forest well positioned to exploit a depleted Palace defence.

A competitive encounter featuring goals at both ends appears likely, with Forest narrowly edging proceedings.

📊 Market Explainer

Main Tip

Win & Both Teams to Score

Selection: Nottingham Forest to win and both teams to score. The selected team must win in normal time and both teams must score. If the selected team draws or loses, or either side fails to score, the bet loses.

Correct Score Tip

Correct Score Market

Selection: Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest 1-2. Predict the exact score at the end of 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Extra time and penalties do not count unless the bookmaker states otherwise.

🎯 Pick 1: Nottingham Forest to win and both teams to score @ 7/2

Oliver Glasner’s return to Selhurst Park provides the primary backdrop, but the justification for an away victory stems directly from Nottingham Forest’s impressive away form intersecting with Crystal Palace’s defensive frailties. While Forest have struggled at the City Ground, drawing blanks in four competitive home fixtures, their away performances show clear attacking intent. Scoring twice at Anfield during a 2-2 draw and securing a 2-1 victory at Aston Villa proves they can penetrate established Premier League defences on the road.

Crystal Palace present a distinctly vulnerable target for that away threat. The hosts have conceded 11 goals in just five league matches, leaving them with the division’s second-worst defensive record. Their home results are particularly troubling, having recently lost 4-1 to Manchester City and 3-2 to Ipswich Town. That defensive instability is compounded by severe selection problems; the absence of Dean Henderson, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Chadi Riad and the suspended Axel Disasi leaves Adam Wharton with an incredibly difficult protection task against a Forest attack featuring Morgan Gibbs-White.

The main obstacle to this selection is historical precedent. Palace boast an 11-match unbeaten sequence against Forest dating back to 2011, and they have scored in seven consecutive home matches across all competitions. However, that consistent home scoring record directly supports the both-teams-to-score element of this combined market. With Ismaila Sarr returning to add pace, Palace are highly capable of finding the net. The overriding evidence points to a match where both attacks succeed, but Forest’s superior away form ultimately exploits a depleted Palace defence.

🎯 Tactical Indicators

• Crystal Palace have conceded 11 goals in five league matches, the Premier League's second-worst defensive record.
• Nottingham Forest have scored two goals in each notable away fixture this season, including at Liverpool and Aston Villa.
• Crystal Palace will miss five defensive players, including suspended Axel Disasi, increasing midfield defensive pressure.

Risk Factor: If Nottingham Forest’s poor home scoring form influences their away performance, they may fail to win.

⚔️ Pick 2: Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest 1-2 @ 8/1

The 1-2 correct scoreline aligns directly with the contrasting trajectories of Crystal Palace’s home defensive struggles and Nottingham Forest’s away attacking efficiency. To justify this exact result, we must establish why Forest are capable of scoring twice while Palace find exactly one response. Forest have already demonstrated their ability to score exactly two goals in difficult away environments this season, achieving that precise total in a 2-2 draw at Liverpool and a 2-1 victory at Aston Villa. Morgan Gibbs-White, who has created five big chances and contributed directly to three league goals, provides the necessary creative platform to supply Liam Delap against a heavily disrupted home defence missing four key personnel.

For the Palace side of the scoreline, their attacking consistency at Selhurst Park remains robust despite their league position. They have scored in seven consecutive home matches across all competitions, including two goals against Ipswich and one against Manchester City. The return of Ismaila Sarr and Anan Khalaili strengthens an attack that recently produced seven unanswered goals across two cup ties against Middlesbrough and Lech Poznan. This proves Palace have the capacity to breach Forest’s backline.

However, expecting more than a single goal from the hosts requires ignoring their struggle to control stretched Premier League matches. While a goalless draw at Leeds offered a brief respite, conceding seven times across their last two home league games highlights their structural problems. The most prominent risk to this exact scoreline is Palace’s 11-match unbeaten history against Forest repeating itself, or Forest’s domestic home bluntness travelling with them to London, limiting the goal count.