Crystal Palace – Nottingham Forest
A 3-0 win in the FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa has suddenly given Crystal Palace wings – but coach Oliver Glasner warns that the next record awaits in the league. On Monday, his team welcomes Nottingham Forest, against whom the Eagles have never won in the Premier League. Forest travels in sixth place, reeling from a 0-2 defeat to Brentford and with noticeable problems with long balls. For Palace, it’s all about setting a new points record and building momentum ahead of the cup final, while Forest is fighting for survival in the tight race for Europe. In the center, two playmakers, Adam Wharton and Morgan Gibbs-White, will cross swords; the question remains whether Glasner’s quick counterattacks or Nuno’s long-awaited defensive organization will prevail.
Crystal Palace – Nottingham Info
- Venue: Selhurst Park, London
- Date and time: May 5, 2025, 9:00 p.m.
- Competition: Premier League (Matchday 35)
Crystal Palace form & record check
Palace under Glasner fluctuates between gala and gray. The 3-0 win against Aston Villa showed the 3-4-2-1 formation at its best: compact spacing, brutal transitions, Eze and Sarr as finishers. In the league, they have a tough 0-0 draw against Bournemouth, a respectable 2-2 draw at Arsenal, but also a 0-5 defeat at Newcastle and a 2-5 defeat at Manchester City. Four of their last five competitive games have ended with over 2.5 goals – an indicator of offensive power and defensive weaknesses at the same time. With 45 points, Palace are in 12th place in the table, just four points ahead of Brentford. Summer rumors surrounding Eze and Guéhi are rife, but Glasner is keeping his focus high for now.
Predicted line-up Palace (3-4-2-1): Johnstone – Richards, Lacroix, Guéhi – Muñoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell – Eze, Sarr – Mateta. Wharton directs, Eze switches positions, Mateta ties up the center backs. Doucouré and Chadi Riad are still out, so major rotations are unlikely.
Nottingham form & record check
Forest are struggling at the crucial stage of the season: four defeats in their last five competitive games, with only a 2-1 win at Tottenham standing out. The East Midlands side have conceded at least one goal in each of their last five games and have not drawn a single game. Brentford mercilessly exposed their weakness with long balls in a 2-0 defeat. Nevertheless, Forest are level on points with Chelsea and Aston Villa in sixth place with 60 points – any slip-up could derail their Champions League project. Hudson-Odoi’s fitness remains questionable, and the team rarely come back from behind – the pressure is mounting.
Predicted Forest line-up (4-2-3-1): Sels – Aina* (or Toffolo), Milenković, Murillo, Williams – Yates, Danilo – Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi* – Wood. (*questionable). The basic system remains the same, with Nuno hoping for Hudson-Odoi’s pace on the wing; there are no serious absences, which creates room for late adjustments.
H2H Crystal Palace – Nottingham Head-to-head comparison & statistics
Head-to-head: Palace have failed to win any of their last five encounters. Forest won twice (2022, October 2024), with three draws. None of these games exceeded 2.5 goals, with a single goal often enough to secure victory. Palace never scored more than one goal, sometimes none at all, while Forest remained unbeaten – statistically, whoever scores first has the best chance of winning.
