Crystal Palace produced a stirring comeback at Selhurst Park, beating Nottingham Forest 3-1 in Oliver Glasner’s first return to the ground since leaving the club in the summer. Glasner was warmly applauded before kick-off for the trophies he delivered during his time in south London, but the mood changed dramatically once the match began.
Forest struck after only three minutes when Anan Khalaili’s attempted header towards his own goalkeeper fell into Dan Ndoye’s path, allowing the forward to finish impressively. Palace needed goalkeeper Walter Benitez to keep them within touching distance, with saves to deny Ndoye, Liam Delap, Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood proving crucial during a spell of Forest pressure.
The turnaround began in the 41st minute. Daichi Kamada reacted quickest after the ball broke loose inside the penalty area to score his first Premier League goal, with the effort surviving a VAR review. Palace then moved ahead in first-half stoppage time, Jefferson Lerma heading in a fine delivery which went through Matz Sels’ legs.
Yeremy Pino added a third in the 59th minute after Sels had saved Jorgen Strand Larsen’s effort. Pino followed up fastest to finish the rebound, ending a run of 19 Premier League appearances without scoring. Benitez later preserved Palace’s two-goal advantage with another excellent stop from Wood at close range.
The result ended Palace’s 14-year wait for a league win against Forest and lifted Pierre Sage’s side to 12th in the Premier League with seven points from six matches. Forest are 14th with five points. As Palace took control, supporters turned their attention to Glasner with chants including “Glasner, what’s the score?” and “sacked in the morning?”
Sage said the match was about beating Nottingham Forest rather than seeking revenge against his predecessor, while also acknowledging Glasner’s contribution to the squad. He accepted that Palace had allowed too many chances, particularly in the area occupied by Ndoye, but praised the players for their commitment. Glasner thanked the Palace supporters for their reception and said Forest’s performance had created plenty of opportunities, although failing to convert them proved decisive.
