Opposition briefing: Everything you need to know about Europe-chasing Nottingham Forest

Match previews

3 Mar 2025

Crystal Palace welcome Nottingham Forest to Selhurst Park on Monday, 5th May (20:00 BST) – before kick-off, it’s time to get the lowdown on our latest opponents…

Factfile

Manager: Nuno Espirito Santo
Current Position: 6th
Ground: City Ground
Founded: 1865 (160 years ago)

What’s the story?

The Premier League table has made for pleasant reading for Nottingham Forest fans, with Nuno Espirito Santo's side sitting in the top three for much of the campaign. A surge of strong form combined with a trickier spell for Forest over the last month, has seen their position eroded slightly.

But they head into Monday's game still in the mix to qualify for the Champions League, which would be assured with a top-five league finish.

A phenomenal victory away at Anfield is arguably still the highlight of the campaign so far, with Callum Hudson-Odoi curling home to defy all expectations and claim a notable early season victory.

Chris Wood's goals have been vital, but so has the excellent defensive record, with goalkeeper Matz Sels currently leading the race for the Premier League Golden Glove.

A young side that have already hugely outperformed expectations, the mood at the City Ground is as good as it's been for a while. They also went close to setting up an FA Cup final clash with Palace, reaching the last four and winning three penalty shootouts along the way.

Ultimately they came up short in their semi-final with Manchester City, despite a decent performance.

But it could still be a campaign to remember, should Forest secure a return to the biggest tournament in European club football, for the first time since the Brian Clough era at the City Ground.

The boss

After a spell in Saudi Arabia followed bruising exits from Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, Nuno returned to England with Nottingham Forest midway through last season.

He had a tall task taking over from Steve Cooper, who was a firm favourite amongst the fans, but kept them in the top-flight fairly comfortably and has proved he can take the team beyond their original pre-season expectations.

Forest have looked one of the best teams on transition in the league this season, with the manager's gameplan a key reason for that.

Boot in both camps

Glenn Murray spent his final four months as a professional at the City Ground, scoring twice in 16 Championship games in 2021, before announcing his retirement.

Cheikhou Kouyate moved to Forest after leaving Palace in 2022, having made 141 appearances for the Eagles.

Dougie Freedman also spent time at the City Ground as both a player - and later as a manager.

Record against Palace

Palace are looking for their first victory against Nottingham Forest since 2011, when Murray scored the winner at the City Ground.

In the reverse fixture back in October, a second-half strike from Chris Wood won the points for Forest.

The two sides shared the points in both meetings last season, playing out a goalless draw at Selhurst Park before Chris Wood cancelled out Jean-Philippe Mateta's opener at the City Ground.

If Palace can come away with three points, it will be their first victory against Nottingham Forest in the top-flight since February 1991, as Steve Coppell's side closed in on third place.

Did you know?

Originally shinty players – a team game played with sticks in the Scottish Highlands much like hockey or hurling – Forest’s founders met at the Clinton Arms in 1865 for the small matter of post-match pints and setting up one England’s biggest clubs. They offered assistance to Liverpool, Arsenal, Brighton and Everton among others. Somehow, though, they were rejected in their bid to join the inaugural Football League in 1888 and later entered in 1892.

The founders identified with Giuseppe Garibaldi, the Italian revolutionary hero who led the redshirts and played a crucial role in the unification of Italy, and so ordered kits in ‘Garibaldi Red’. Forest later donated a set of kits to Woolwich Arsenal in 1886, influencing their decision to wear red.

Sam Weller Widdowson was a highly successful sportsman during the Victorian era playing cricket for Nottinghamshire and – when the schedule allowed – football for Nottingham Forest.

So highly was he rated that he played once for England against Scotland in 1880.

Before kick-off in 1874, Widdowson cut down a pair of cricket pads and strapped them to his socks. His opponents – hell, even his teammates – found the concept a ridiculous one and reacted with laughter, but it soon caught on and to this day shin pads are a requirement in the Laws of the Game.

Widdowson continued to be at the forefront of football development: he refereed the first game to use nets and became Forest’s chairman from 1879 to 1884.

Match details

Monday, 5th May
20:00 BST
Selhurst Park
Sky Sports
Live audio commentary on Palace TV+

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