Nottingham Forest out of bottom three after draw against Crystal Palace
Nottingham Forest staged a comeback to clinch a point against Crystal Palace at the City Ground, propelling them out of the Premier League relegation zone.
The hosts initially fell behind in their first match since receiving a four-point deduction for financial rules violations, as Jean-Philippe Mateta neatly converted Eberechi Eze’s well-placed pass.
However, Chris Wood leveled the score just after the hour mark, guiding Morgan Gibbs-White’s lofted delivery past the onrushing Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson for his 10th goal of the season.
Under the management of Nuno Espirito Santo, Forest had slipped into the bottom three following the points deduction, but this valuable point lifted them to 17th place, edging above Luton on goal difference.
Despite being winless since their triumph over West Ham on February 17th, Forest nearly succumbed to a fourth defeat in five league matches late in the game, with Daniel Munoz’s header striking the post in the 90th minute.
England winger Eze posed a constant threat for Oliver Glasner’s Palace side, testing Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels with two exceptional one-on-one opportunities on either side of halftime.
Nevertheless, Palace squandered their chances and were unable to secure their fourth away victory of the season, as Forest maintained their unbeaten record against Palace in the Premier League.
Display of defiance from Forest
Forest displayed resilience on the field following the deduction that plunged them into the relegation zone – and their passionate home supporters mirrored this determination.
A banner unfurled in the Trent End before kick-off bore the message “we shall fight and we shall overcome”.
Although Forest have already announced their intention to appeal against the punishment, it is on the pitch where they must begin earning points to distance themselves from the bottom three.
Their gritty comeback to secure a draw on Saturday is a positive start and enabled them to gain ground on two relegation rivals. Luton suffered a late defeat at Tottenham, while Everton fell to Bournemouth after Seamus Coleman’s injury-time own goal.
Eze playing himself into Euros contention?
Eze, the standout player for Palace, was included in Gareth Southgate’s provisional England squad for the postponed Euro 2021 tournament. Unfortunately, on the same day he received the news, he suffered an Achilles tendon rupture, sidelining him for a year.
Now, three years later, the midfielder seems to be regaining the form that could once again put him in contention for the Euros.
Although a season plagued by injuries may have contributed to his exclusion from Southgate’s recent squad, Eze showcased his undeniable talent in this match. Only exceptional goalkeeping from Sels prevented him from finding the back of the net.
With nine games remaining in Palace’s campaign, if the 25-year-old maintains his fitness and continues to ignite the team’s attack, he will undoubtedly give Southgate much to consider.