Nottingham Forest host Crystal Palace at the City Ground this Sunday afternoon. The Reds currently occupy eighth place after a productive January period. Forest enter as favorites against a Palace side sitting in thirteenth and seeking stability. Both teams need points as the Premier League enters its crucial final months.
Forest have become a disciplined force since Sean Dyche arrived in October. They recently beat Brentford 2-0 and secured a hard-fought draw against Arsenal. The game relies on a strong midfield and the scoring of Chris Wood. Despite missing Taiwo Awoniyi, the squad remains very tough to beat at home.
Crystal Palace are struggling after losing Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze in January. Oliver Glasner will leave this summer, which has created some uncertainty at the club. Recent results include a 3-1 defeat to Chelsea and a loss at Sunderland. Injuries to Adam Wharton and Cheick Doucoure have also weakened the starting lineup.
Record books favor the hosts in this specific fixture. Crystal Palace have not beaten Nottingham Forest in their last eight attempts. The long winless streak goes all the way back to 2011. The Eagles often find it hard to handle Forest’s direct and physical style.
The match features a battle between Forest’s organization and Palace’s search for goals. The home side will likely target Palace’s thin defense through set pieces. The visitors must find new ways to score without their top creative players. A win for Forest would keep them in the hunt for European spots.
I'm backing both teams to score at 1.80. Nottingham Forest have scored 1.7 goals per game recently, while Crystal Palace have conceded in 90% of away matches. Forest have found the net in four of their last six home games. The xG projection (2.02–1.12) supports a 2-1 finish.