Walter Benítez produced one of the defining moments in Crystal Palace’s 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest, somehow keeping out Liam Delap from close range after Morgan Gibbs-White’s effort had struck the crossbar.
With Benítez still on the ground, Delap appeared certain to score and put Forest 2-0 ahead. The Palace goalkeeper recovered instantly, throwing himself back into position and blocking the powerful effort before it crossed the line. The save preserved the Eagles’ hopes and was followed only minutes later by Palace turning the match around.
Benítez later explained that the shot came at such speed and from such a short distance that he had little time to think. His priority was to get his body behind the ball, and he was delighted that the intervention helped Palace secure the win.
The moment also brought to mind Vicente Guaita’s late stop against Burnley in a six-goal draw at Turf Moor in November 2021. With Matej Vydra shooting in the closing stages, Guaita reacted sharply to divert the effort around the post and protect a valuable point for Palace.
Dean Henderson delivered another outstanding contribution against Liverpool. After Palace had taken the lead, Ryan Gravenberch struck a fierce rising effort, only for Henderson to get a fingertip to the ball and turn it onto the woodwork. The save helped Palace maintain their advantage before Eddie Nketiah scored a late winner, and it was subsequently nominated for Premier League Save of the Month.
Julian Speroni also features among Palace’s memorable goalkeeping moments, particularly for his one-handed penalty save from Scott Arfield in the 85th minute. His stop against Troy Deeney in the 2013 Championship play-off final is another celebrated example of the Argentine producing a decisive intervention when his team needed it most.
