Football Prediction | Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest | Premier League | August 24 – Will Forest Keep Flying High?

Crystal Palace host Nottingham Forest at Selhurst Park in what promises to be a tight and physical contest. Each side sees this fixture as an opportunity to cement their start with much-needed points. Palace will rely on their attacking threats at home, while Forest will aim to strike on the counter. The clash sets up an intriguing battle between two sides with similar ambitions.

Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest Form Guide

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace have proven through their early games their intent for good results underpinned with resilience and attacking will. Eberechi Eze has continued to be the centrepiece of creativity playing deeper within the build up and threading play into the final third. Ismaïla Sarr has added the desired pace and width in Palace’s frontline creating more opportunities for Jean-Philippe Mateta. Our hopes are that this new competent backline will be enough to establish a guaranteed mid-table finish.

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest have been competitive, mixing defensive solidity with attacking sharpness. Morgan Gibbs-White has been at the heart of their creativity, linking midfield and attack. Callum Hudson-Odoi’s pace out wide has added a dangerous edge to their transitions. Every ball into the box feels like a lottery, and Wood’s the jackpot—airborne, lethal, and impossible to ignore.

Also read:- Football Prediction | Arsenal vs Leeds United | Premier League | August 23

Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest Key Battles

Jean-Philippe Mateta vs Chris Wood

Mateta has been a consistent goal threat for Palace, using his strength and movement inside the box to great effect. His ability to finish off chances makes him their main attacking outlet. Wood, on the other hand, brings experience and physicality to Forest’s attack, thriving on crosses and direct play. Whichever striker finds space and composure in front of goal could tilt the game.

Eberechi Eze vs Morgan Gibbs-White

Eze is Palace’s creative engine, capable of producing moments of brilliance with his dribbling and vision. His ability to score from range or slip in teammates makes him a constant danger. Gibbs-White operates in a similar role for Forest, orchestrating attacks with clever passing and flair. The battle between these two playmakers will shape the attacking rhythm of the match.

Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest Tactical Outlook

Palace will be looking to dominate possession at home, stretching the Forest defence by wide players in the attack phases. Eze is the key to creativity and breaking compact opponents. The duo of Guéhi and Lacroix at the back guarantees that Palace’s defence is disciplined, resilient, and hard to breach. Expect a balanced, but focused attacking play Mackay.

Forest are likely to sit deep and look for counter-attacking opportunities. Gibbs-White will aim to transition quickly and release the pace of Ndoye and Hudson-Odoi. The key to unsettling Palace may well lie in Sangaré’s ability to control and disrupt from midfield. With Wood leading the line, they will also look to exploit set-piece situations.

Head-to-Head Encounters

The last few encounters between Palace and Forest were closely fought. The two teams shared the points in a few low-scoring draws, where Forest had some good finishing to snatch the win occasionally. However, outside of these recent encounters, Palace have tended to be the stronger of the two at Selhurst Park. Once again, we expect this fixture to be tight with fine margins separating the two teams.

Injury News and Suspensions

Crystal Palace

Injuries abound for Palace coming into the game. Caleb Kporha will be out until early September with a back issue, Chad Riad will be out until late November with a knee issue, Cheick Doucouré will be out until early November, and Daichi Kamada is still a doubt. Edward Nketiah will be out until October and Matheus Franca is ruled out until late August.

Nottingham Forest

Forest’s injury list is less severe but still significant. Nicolás Dominguez is out with a meniscus injury and will return in early October. His absence weakens the midfield depth for Forest. Otherwise, they should have a relatively strong squad available for the match.

Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest Possible Playing Squad

Crystal Palace

Dean Henderson (GK), Chris Richards, Maxence Lacroix, Marc Guéhi, Daniel Muñoz, Tyrick Mitchell, Adam Wharton, Will Hughes, Ismaïla Sarr, Eberechi Eze, Jean-Philippe Mateta

Nottingham Forest

Matz Sels (GK), Ola Aina, Nikola Milenković, Murillo, Neco Williams, Ibrahim Sangaré, Elliot Anderson, Dan Ndoye, Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Chris Wood

Match Details at a Glance

Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest Match Prediction

Crystal Palace’s home advantage, as well as their creative spark, gives them just a slight edge over Forest. The counter-attacking threat that Forest poses could make this a very close contest.

Score Prediction

Crystal Palace 2–1 Nottingham Forest – Mateta and Eze to score for Palace, with Wood netting for Forest. Palace’s attacking depth at Selhurst Park could prove decisive.