The words “This is important” were inescapable before kick-off at the City Ground, and it probably won’t be the last time before the end of the season. From now on, each and every game will feel like a treble for Nottingham Forest and, as such, winning their 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace may feel like two too few.
Chris Wood’s brilliant improvised equalizer in the 61st minute was the reward for a much better attacking performance by the hosts in the second half, after Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the first goal after 10 minutes.
Eberechi Eze twice came close to a second, while Daniel Muñoz came within a lick of paint of a winning goal in the 87th minute, while Dean Henderson endured a busy second half, but come the final whistle, there was nothing to will separate the two sides.
Most importantly for Forest, however, Son Heung-min’s late goal against Luton lifted Forest out of the relegation zone until at least Tuesday.
“The team showed character and we are out of the relegation zone. We need to take advantage in the next one, because we need to climb places in the table,” said forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo.
Chris Wood took his Premier League tally for the season into double figures to secure a point for Nottingham Forest against Crystal Palace.
Wood beat former Forest goalkeeper Dean Henderson to make it back-to-back draws for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
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“We are aware that we are in a difficult position, but honestly, on the part of the fans, we can never complain. It is up to us and our actions to involve the City Ground.
“It’s very close and there are a few teams involved in that fight, but we have to focus on ourselves.” “This point is good, but against Fulham it’s going to be complicated.”
It only took 307 days and a change of coach for both teams to get a goal between these two, Mateta scored his third in five games to momentarily silence the riotous home fans.
A perfect pass from Jefferson Lerma fed Eze, who put it in Mateta’s path for the striker to convert to Matz Sels.
The locals, however, were not exempt from threats. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ola Aina combined well on the left, although the end product was often flawed, while Morgan Gibbs-White was easily the most dangerous player in the red shirt.
Eze should have made it 2-0 in the 37th minute, after a pass from Adam Wharton split the defense down the middle, but Sels came off his line quickly to prevent the England international from lifting the ball over his head.
But it was Forest who played the better football in the first half, the wingers linking up well with Gibbs-White and Wood in and around the box. But it was shots the crowd called for in a frustrating first half, a feeling strengthened by his team’s continued refusal to comply.
Jean Philippe-Mateta opened the scoring and gave Palace the lead after just 11 minutes at the City Ground.
Both teams had chances to take the lead in the second half but were unable to convert their chances.
Forest looked like they had a better chance of winning in the final minutes but were ultimately forced to settle for a point.
At half-time there was a change of attack with striker Anthony Elanga replacing midfielder Ibrahim Sangare, and the result was in sight, despite Eze going close again in the opening minutes of the second half.
The home side came out firing after the break and were rewarded with a header from Wood, who defied Henderson from close range with the back of his head after a sublime cross from Gibbs-White.
“It feels like an open wound that someone had stuck a finger in,” Oliver Glasner said of the result. “It feels like two points lost.
‘We took the lead and normally one should be confident. We were under a lot of pressure and lost dead balls early, then we were much better before the break.
Oliver Glasner admitted that conceding to Forest in the second half was like “two points lost”
Daniel Muñoz was narrowly denied a late goal near the post and the Eagles are yet to win in the league on the road in their last nine games.
“In the end it’s the result that counts, but a point in an away game, I’m told, in the Premier League is a good point.”
That goal seemingly lit a fire under the hosts, who advanced steadily as Palace withstood phase after phase of the Reds’ attack. Gio Reyna stung the palms of Henderson, while the missed shots of the first half rained down on the visiting goal.
Palace were not left alone as they chased their first Premier League win against Forest, and only a touch of paint at the back post from Sels prevented Muñoz from scoring the winning goal in the 87th minute, but despite an offensive late of the visitors, the Eagles returned to the capital yet. without an away league victory in their last nine attempts.