Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest Prediction 24 August 2025
🔊 How will Eberechi Eze's sudden departure impact Crystal Palace's performance? The Eagles will play their first match without their star player at home in Selhurst Park against Nottingham Forest. Both teams have had a decent start to the Premier League, although they've accumulated different points. However, the level of their opponents has varied significantly - Chelsea, not in top form but delivering results, and Brentford, adapting to a new manager's demands. Despite these factors, both clubs have left a positive impression, which we hope they carry into their head-to-head clash. Whose early-season form will prove superior? Let's delve into our prediction.
Head-to-Head
📊 We are set to witness one of the most draw-prone matchups in the Premier League. Since 2022, these teams have clashed six times in the English top flight, with four of those encounters ending in a draw. Nottingham Forest have celebrated victory twice, both times with a 1-0 scoreline. The most common result in their head-to-head is 1-1.
Head-to-head statistics Crystal Palace - Nottingham Forest
Crystal Palace Team Overview
🔵 Oliver Glasner's team, with a full preseason, a cohesive lineup, and a trophy already in the bag, look very confident at the start of the season. After defeating Liverpool in the Super Cup, they held their ground away against another reigning champion, Chelsea (in the Conference League and Club World Cup). Despite Chelsea's almost sterile possession (71 to 29%), their only clear scoring chance was Cucurella's shot from a corner. Crystal Palace's notable moment was Eberechi Eze's disallowed free-kick goal, which was rightly ruled out due to Guehi's clear foul.
⚪️ Yet, even without that controversial set piece, the Eagles weren't far behind in expected goals (1.03 to 1.37 xG) and actually surpassed their opponents in shots on target (4 to 3). Between league fixtures, the Londoners managed to play in the Conference League qualification playoffs, where despite total dominance (74% to 26% possession) and a sixfold advantage in shots (30 to 5), they narrowly defeated Norwegian side Fredrikstad at home (1-0).
Match Results: Crystal Palace
Nottingham Forest Team Overview
🔴 In stark contrast to their nearly goalless preseason (just 1 goal in 7 matches), Nottingham's opening Premier League fixture was a different story. Nuno Espírito Santo's side secured the result in the first half, proving they can take control of the game. They netted three goals before the break, and although they switched to a more conservative approach afterwards, they didn't entirely abandon their attacking play.
⚪️ The final match statistics don't fully capture the dynamics on the pitch. Brentford didn't lag much in possession (45% to 55%) or shots (10:11 overall and 3:5 on target), but that's the beauty of Nuno Espírito Santo's pragmatic style. With the additional European competition ahead, his team's ability to see out potentially won matches will be invaluable.
Match Results: Nottingham Forest
Latest news
Crystal Palace
📝 Just recently, the transfer saga involving Crystal Palace winger Eberechi Eze came to an end. Tottenham had been pursuing him for a long time, constantly negotiating the price and even offering to include Richarlison in the deal. However, their fierce rivals from North London outmaneuvered them by paying the full release clause (60 million €) without any haggling. As a result, Eze is now with Arsenal.
🎙 An intriguing moment occurred after the final whistle in the match against Chelsea. The visiting team's head coach, Oliver Glasner, attempted to speak with defender Marc Guehi, but the player headed to the dressing room, leaving the coach bewildered. Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane, commenting on the incident for Sky Sports, criticized this trend that has become common in recent years. The ex-footballer believes that conversations between players and coaches should take place in the locker room. "Why has this been happening in the last year or two? When managers come onto the pitch and shake hands with everyone, including opposing players. A player has just had a tough match, he's physically exhausted, and the coach just wants to come out and have a little chat, knowing there are talks about his departure." Recently, there have been rumors of Liverpool's interest in the player. Meanwhile, BBC reports that there is no conflict between Glasner and Guehi, and the player's reaction was simply due to frustration from a goalless draw.
❌ Cheick Doucouré continues his recovery from cruciate ligament surgery after injuring his knee at the end of last season. Ahead of the Super Cup match, Oliver Glasner mentioned the recovery timeline for Eddie Nketiah's preseason-aggravated injury-approximately 8 weeks. Daichi Kamada has been out of the squad for the second game but may return for the second round; according to the coaching staff, his injury is not very serious.
Nottingham Forest
📝 Nottingham Forest remain active in the transfer market, even as the window draws to a close. This week, the club secured Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz on loan and Rennes forward Arnaud Muinga, who was the third top scorer in Ligue 1 last season with 17 goals. The Frenchman has maintained a high level of performance over the past four years, only once dropping below the 10-goal mark. The 23-year-old striker will be an excellent alternative or even a partner in attack alongside the evergreen Chris Wood. The New Zealander's impressive form from last season's Premier League campaign (20 goals) has carried over into the current one, with Wood netting a brace in the opening match.
🔚 Troubling news has emerged from the Forest camp. Head coach Nuno Espírito Santo is reportedly considering stepping down from his position. Rumors suggest tension has arisen between the coach and owner Evangelos Marinakis over transfer dealings. The club is currently contemplating his dismissal. Such announcements are surprising given Marinakis' expenditure of €167.5 million on new signings and the recent contract extension for the manager.
❌ Nottingham Forest are managing to keep losses to a minimum. Midfielder Nicolas Dominguez is continuing his recovery from knee surgery. There are no other absentees in the Forest squad.
🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards
The main referee for the match is Anthony Taylor. The experienced Englishman has officiated 372 Premier League matches, averaging 3.6 yellow cards per game. His recent 13 matches have seen fewer than 4.5 cards, indicating a high level of competition in games he oversees. However, the head-to-head clashes between the upcoming opponents have been intense, averaging 6.25 warnings between them. Despite this, only half of their last six encounters have exceeded a total of 2.5 yellow cards.
We believe that both teams, with European competitions on the horizon, will want to avoid unnecessary suspensions or, worse, injuries from rough tackles. Players are likely to avoid physical confrontations. Even if the game gets heated, Anthony Taylor is unlikely to reach for his yellow card hastily. Our prediction: total yellow cards under 4.5.
⚽️ Goal Prediction
Here, we focus on head-to-head meetings. Throughout their Premier League history, these clubs have never surpassed a total of more than 2.5 goals in a match. The overall scoring rate is modest, with just 1.3 goals across 6 matches. Crystal Palace, after losing one of their key creators, managed to score only once despite dominating against a modest Fredrikstad side. We anticipate that the Londoners will need more time to adjust their play without Eberechi Eze, which will impact the scoring in the upcoming match - total goals under 2.5.
🚩 Corner Prediction
Nottingham Forest's playing style heavily relies on the 191-cm giant Chris Wood. If crosses aren't coming in open play, reaching the corner flags significantly increases their chances of scoring from set pieces. Crystal Palace has a slightly more varied attack but also boasts a powerful presence in Jean-Philippe Mateta (192 cm). It would be unwise not to exploit such advantages, as both teams have done in their last five head-to-head matches, where the total corners never dropped below 8.5. We suggest raising the bar slightly, especially given Palace's reduced attacking options, and opt for total corners over 9.5.
Editorial Prediction
Bookmakers have clearly favored the home team in the upcoming clash, which has raised some eyebrows in our editorial team after Nottingham's impressive first round performance. Our doubts about the "Forest's" scoring ability, following an unimpressive preseason, were dispelled by their first-half display against Brentford. However, new concerns have emerged for the "Eagles," who have lost their star player. The match against Fredrikstad offered little clarity on who, besides Mateta, Palace can rely on when facing tougher opposition.
The head-to-head history doesn't inspire much confidence in the London side either. Nevertheless, Oliver Glasner's coaching acumen and his team's home advantage suggest that the "Glaziers" will try to assert their dominance. If their weakened attack performs well, they might secure a draw (1-1). However, we have more faith in a positive outcome for Nuno Espírito Santo's squad, which is why we're taking advantage of the attractive odds on the visitors and backing Nottingham Forest not to lose.
No comments
Betting Tips: Crystal Palace - Nottingham Forest
in last 6 games against Nottingham Forest (Premier League).
in last 11 games.in last 10 home games.in last 7 games (Premier League).in last 6 home games (Premier League).
in 12 of last 14 Crystal Palace home games (Premier League).in 18 of last 19 Nottingham Forest away games.in last 17 Nottingham Forest away games (Premier League).in 7 of last 8 Nottingham Forest games.in 6 of last 7 Nottingham Forest games (Premier League).
in 42 of last 44 Anthony Taylor games.in 17 of last 18 home games.in 12 of last 13 home games (Premier League).in 9 of last 10 games.in last 10 games.in last 9 games (Premier League).in last 8 away games (Premier League).
Comparison of Teams Stats
Other predictions
