Eze Shines but Palace and Forest Settle for a Draw in Fiery Selhurst Park Clash

Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest battled to a lively 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park in a Premier League encounter packed with drama, penalties, disallowed goals, and a flurry of yellow cards.

The opening 45 minutes were largely uneventful, with both sides struggling to create clear-cut chances. Munoz and Elanga produced the only efforts on target in the first half, forcing saves from Matz Sels and Dean Henderson respectively. Palace registered 0.52 expected goals (xG) in the first period from nine attempts, while Forest managed 0.39 xG from six efforts, reflecting the lack of cutting edge from either side.

After the break, the tempo lifted. Palace began to assert themselves and were rewarded in the 60th minute when Tyrick Mitchell was tripped by Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels inside the penalty area. Following a brief VAR check, the referee pointed to the spot. Eberechi Eze coolly stepped up and, with a stuttered run-up, slotted the ball into the corner to give the Eagles a deserved lead.

However, Forest struck back just four minutes later. A corner was only partially cleared, and Neco Williams fired a speculative effort from the edge of the box. The shot looked to be heading wide, but Murillo instinctively stuck out a foot and diverted the ball into the far corner beyond Henderson to make it 1-1.

Palace continued to push for a winner, with Eze in dazzling form. The midfielder almost restored Palace’s advantage in the 89th minute with a curling strike that beat Sels but cannoned off the crossbar. Moments later, in stoppage time, Eze created space again inside the box and fired towards goal. Eddie Nketiah poked the ball into the net, only for the assistant referee’s flag to go up for offside, much to the frustration of the home crowd.

The final whistle blew on a heated affair featuring 10 yellow cards, end-to-end second-half action, and a fair share of controversy. Palace ended the game with an expected goals tally of 2.56 to Forest’s 0.71, underlining their dominance after the break.

Up next, Crystal Palace will travel to face Tottenham Hotspur, while Nottingham Forest return home to host already relegated Leicester City.