London, Aug 24: Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest battled to a 1-1 draw in a fiery Premier League encounter at Selhurst Park, played under the shadow of simmering fan hostility and uncertainty in the Forest dugout.
The Eagles struck first in the 37th minute when Senegal international Ismaila Sarr, lively throughout the evening, latched on to a precise Daniel Muñoz cross and guided a composed finish beyond Forest keeper Matz Sels. Palace nearly doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time, only for captain Marc Guehi’s unmarked header to cannon off the post.
Forest responded after the break with their first meaningful attack. Callum Hudson-Odoi raced on to a Dan Ndoye pass and outpaced the Palace defence before drilling a low shot past Dean Henderson at the near post in the 57th minute. The visitors almost stole all three points late on when Igor Jesus struck the woodwork and debutant Omari Hutchinson fired narrowly over in stoppage time.
The match unfolded in a charged atmosphere, with Palace fans directing their fury at Forest’s role in their demotion from the Europa League to the Conference League after UEFA ruled on multi-ownership breaches. A large banner and relentless chants against Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis underscored the bad blood between the clubs — animosity that seems set to endure alongside Palace’s decades-old rivalry with Brighton.
Beyond the hostility, both managers faced pressing concerns. Palace boss Oliver Glasner continues to wrestle with squad depth after the departure of Eberechi Eze to Arsenal, leaving a creative void in attack. Sarr, often a support act to Eze, looks set to become a central figure, while Glasner’s reliance on Jean-Philippe Mateta’s hold-up play highlighted both his tactical structure and his lack of options, with two goalkeepers named on the bench.
For Forest, the result provided some relief amid mounting speculation over manager Nuno Espírito Santo’s future. The Portuguese tactician, who restored European football to the City Ground, admitted before kick-off that “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” regarding rumours of a rift with owner Marinakis — hardly a declaration of stability. Despite three new signings debuting from the bench, Forest still leaned heavily on striker Chris Wood, who went close early but otherwise struggled to trouble the Palace back line.
Henderson, twice Palace’s Wembley hero in recent cup triumphs, endured a mixed evening. He could do little about Hudson-Odoi’s equaliser but will feel disappointed at being beaten at his near post with England manager Thomas Tuchel watching from the stands.
In the end, both sides were left with frustrations. Palace rued missed chances and their lack of attacking depth, while Forest were grateful for a point but offered only glimpses of fluency. For Nuno, the draw may have bought him time, though the storm clouds at the City Ground remain far from cleared. (Reuters)
