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Can Nottingham Forest turn momentum into points — or will Crystal Palace’s midfield punch land at the City Ground? Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.
Read Rationale ▾
Five of the last six meetings ended in draws. Both sides struggle defensively, conceding 62 goals combined. Forest’s home momentum and Palace’s aerial threat suggest a scoring stalemate.
Read Rationale ▾
The most frequent outcome in recent head-to-heads. Forest lack a clinical edge without Wood, while Palace’s direct style creates enough chances to cancel out the hosts.
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Nottingham Forest vs Crystal Palace Predictions and Best Bets
Nott’m Forest vs Crystal Palace — bet365 Market Snapshot
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Forest’s 3-game unbeaten run gives them the edge over a Palace side that has lost 4 of their last 6 league outings.
5 of the last 6 meetings ended in a draw, with the 1-1 scoreline appearing frequently in historical data.
Forest have conceded 34 goals this season, while Palace’s direct style creates significant SOT volume.
- Forest’s Fine Line: Sean Dyche’s side sit 17th on 25 points, just five clear of West Ham in the final relegation spot, making every margin feel massive.
- Palace’s Slide: Crystal Palace arrive after four defeats in their last six fixtures, including a 3-1 home loss to Chelsea, with pressure to stop the leak fast.
- A Draw-Heavy Rivalry: Five of the last six meetings ended level — including 1-1 at Selhurst Park in August — and Forest are unbeaten in 10 competitive games against the Eagles.
Defensive Metrics: Total Goals Conceded
A look at the total league goals allowed by both sides, indicating the difficulty each team faces in maintaining a shut-out.
Forest sit bottom half for defensive reliability, having allowed the most goals between these two sides.
Despite their lower league position, Palace have maintained a statistically stronger defensive record than Forest.
Physical Edge: Aerial Duels Won
Aerial battles per match, illustrating which side holds the advantage during set-pieces and long deliveries.
Forest rely less on aerial dominance, which contrasts with their known vulnerability defending set-pieces.
Palace’s physical style is highlighted by a significantly higher rate of aerial successes per game.
The City Ground has a proper edge to it right now. Nottingham Forest have finally found some traction after a chaotic start to the season, and Sean Dyche has them hard to beat — unbeaten in three in the league, fresh off a 2-0 win at Brentford.
Crystal Palace arrive with bruises after a 3-1 loss to Chelsea, and their recent run is the kind that tests belief. The league table adds bite: Forest are 17th, Palace 15th, with only three points between them. This one has the feel of a fixture where one clean strike could swing the mood in a hurry — and where a moment of sloppiness could wreck the plan.
Team News & Lineups
Nottingham Forest absences
- J. Furtado (knee surgery)
- E. da Silva Moreira (unknown injury)
- D. Bakwa (unknown injury)
- C. Wood (knee surgery)
Crystal Palace absences
- None listed
Nottingham Forest possible starting XI
Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Sangare; Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Dominguez; Igor Jesus
Crystal Palace possible starting XI
Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Canvot; Munoz, Lerma, Hughes, Mitchell; Pino, Mateta, Sarr
What it means
Forest missing Chris Wood removes a proven option to change the feel of the box late on, putting more on Morgan Gibbs-White to create and Igor Jesus to convert. Palace’s likely back three and wing-backs screams structure and spring — but it also risks giving Forest space to cross if the wide areas aren’t locked down.
The Tale of the Tape
| Metric (Premier League) | Nottingham Forest | Crystal Palace |
|---|---|---|
| League position | 17th | 15th |
| Points | 25 | 28 |
| Goals scored | 23 | 24 |
| Goals conceded | 34 | 28 |
| Shots per game | 11.9 | 11.5 |
| Possession % | 48.9% | 43.0% |
| Pass % | 82.7% | 77.1% |
Forest edge the ball and the pass security, but the big flashing light is at the back: 34 conceded to Palace’s 28. This sets up a match where Forest may have the steadier build-up, while Palace try to hurt them through moments — especially if Forest’s weaknesses around counter-attacks and set pieces show up at the wrong time.
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Tactical Battle: How the Match Plays Out
Forest’s width vs Palace’s narrow core
Forest’s identity leans wide: they attempt crosses often, play with width, and repeatedly look to build attacks down the left. That puts real responsibility on Palace’s wing-back lanes — Daniel Muñoz and Tyrick Mitchell can’t just bomb on, because the moment they vacate space, Forest’s wide players want to feed deliveries into the area.
But there’s a catch. Forest’s finishing has been a problem: they’re weak at converting chances, and only Wolverhampton Wanderers have scored fewer than their 23 league goals. So the game could hinge on whether their wide pressure becomes clear looks — or just noise.
Palace’s shots and through-balls: quick pain, not long possession
Palace don’t want a slow, tidy afternoon. They’re built to attack through the middle, hit long balls, and attempt through balls often — a style that fits a side with a striker like Jean-Philippe Mateta (league-high 8 goals for them) and runners like Ismaïla Sarr and Yéremy Pino around him.
They also carry a big personality trait: creating scoring chances is a very strong point, and they like to take a lot of shots. Even with slightly fewer shots per game than Forest (11.5 vs 11.9), the intent is direct: get the ball into dangerous zones early, ask questions, force errors.
The midfield tug-of-war: control vs chaos
Forest’s 48.9% possession and 82.7% pass success suggests they can keep the ball better than Palace (43.0%, 77.1%). That matters because Palace are weak at keeping possession. If Forest can pin Palace back, the match can become territorial — wing play, corners, second balls, repeat.
But Dyche’s side also carry vulnerabilities that Palace will circle in red. Forest are weak at defending counter-attacks, avoiding individual errors, and defending set pieces. That’s exactly the kind of environment where a “nearly” moment becomes a goal against — especially if Palace force turnovers and break into the channels.
The set-piece and aerial angle: who wins the collisions?
This could be a bruising fixture. Forest average 14.4 aerials won per league game; Palace are even higher at 18.7. In the squads, Palace’s centre-backs are serious in the air — Chris Richards (3.1 aerials won), Maxence Lacroix (2.8), Marc Guéhi (2.7) — while Forest have Nikola Milenkovic (2.4) and Igor Jesus (2.5) among their strongest.
That points towards a match with lots of contact, lots of dead-ball moments, and a premium on first contacts. If either side loses focus on a restart, it’s a long way back.
Key Moments to Watch
- First 20 minutes: Palace have struggled lately, while Forest are riding a three-game unbeaten league run. An early Forest surge could turn the ground loud and force Palace into rushed clearances.
- Wide deliveries into the mixer: Forest want crosses; Palace’s back three should handle plenty — but if wing-backs get pinned, the volume can become a problem.
- Mateta’s platform play: If Mateta sticks it up, wins fouls, and brings Sarr and Pino into play, Forest’s weaknesses defending counters can get exposed quickly.
- Discipline and cheap set pieces: Forest are flagged as weak at defending set pieces, and Palace are weak at defending set pieces too — so giving away soft fouls in wide areas is asking for trouble at both ends.
- Second-half swing: Forest’s recent schedule includes a 4-0 European win on Thursday, while Palace arrive after a run of defeats. Legs and composure could decide the final spell.
What could go wrong?
Forest can dominate territory and still come away frustrated if the finishing doesn’t match the approach. Palace can carry threat without control, but if they cough up the ball and can’t slow transitions, they risk being stuck defending wave after wave. With both sides carrying set-piece concerns and a rivalry that keeps drifting into draws, one messy moment could decide everything — or cancel everything out.
Best Bet for Nottingham Forest vs Crystal Palace
Can Nottingham Forest turn momentum into points — or will Crystal Palace’s midfield punch land at the City Ground?
The Punter’s Cheat Sheet
| Factor | The Numbers | Betting Signal |
| Form | Forest 3 unbeaten; Palace 4 losses in 6 | Back Forest |
| History | 5 of last 6 meetings were draws | Back the Draw |
| Defence | Forest 34 conceded; Palace 28 | Both Teams to Score |
| Aerials | Forest 14.4/gm; Palace 18.7/gm | Over Corners/SOT |
Both Teams to Score & The Draw
The City Ground prepares for a high-stakes encounter where momentum meets desperation. Nottingham Forest have stabilised under Sean Dyche, carving out a three-game unbeaten streak in the league. This resilience is anchored by a better grasp of possession (48.9%) and superior passing accuracy (82.7%) compared to their visitors.
Crystal Palace, however, are a side built on direct, high-impact moments. Despite a recent slide of four defeats in six matches, they possess a clinical edge through Jean-Philippe Mateta, who leads their scoring with 8 goals. Palace average 11.5 shots per game and are expert at creating scoring chances through through-balls and long-range directness.
The tactical overlap is clear. Forest are notoriously weak at defending counter-attacks and set pieces—two areas where Palace excel. Conversely, Palace are weak at maintaining possession, which allows Forest to apply sustained pressure through wide areas and frequent crosses. With Forest conceding 34 goals this season and Palace shipping 28, clean sheets are a rarity for both.
History is the loudest indicator here. Five of the last six competitive meetings between these two sides have ended level, including their 1-1 stalemate at Selhurst Park earlier this season. Forest’s lack of a clinical finisher like the injured Chris Wood makes a dominant win unlikely, while Palace’s defensive leaks prevent them from closing games out. Everything points to a hard-fought score draw.
What could go wrong?
Forest’s heavy volume of crosses could finally pay off if Palace’s back three lose focus, or Crystal Palace’s aerial dominance (18.7 won per game) could result in a set-piece winner that defies the run of play. Additionally, Forest’s midweek European exertions may lead to late-game fatigue, allowing Palace to steal a result.
Correct Score Lean
Nottingham Forest 1-1 Crystal Palace
This scoreline reflects the persistent trend of this rivalry, with five of the last six meetings ending in draws. Forest have the home advantage and better ball retention but lack the finishing power to pull away, especially with Chris Wood sidelined. Palace have the individual quality in Mateta and Sarr to exploit Forest’s defensive errors, but their recent form suggests they lack the stability to take all three points. A 1-1 result satisfies the statistical likelihood of both teams scoring while honouring their history of cancelling each other out.
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