Crystal Palace

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Eberechi Eze once again showed his talents in Crystal Palace's 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

The midfielder was the man every Palace player and fan wanted on the ball and was a constant menace for every man in a red shirt.

With just two England caps to his name, it's hard to see him making the England squad for Euro 2024, but it's hard to argue against him not deserving an opportunity.

In a bottom-half Palace side, he stands out clearly so just imagine what the 25-year-old could do on the international stage with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane around him.

If it wasn't for the brilliance of Madz Sels, Eze would have been the match winner for Oliver Glasner's side this afternoon.

Hopefully, England boss Gareth Southgate has the brilliant Palace man in his thoughts before naming his training squad for the Euros.

Oliver Glasner spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Crystal Palace's draw with Nottingham Forest: "At the moment it feels like we lost two points.

"I was told a point away in the Premier League is a good point so we respect a point here in Nottingham because they are in very good shape, especially at home.

"We took the lead and had three or four very good chances but we didn't decide the game. There were moments in the game where we were under pressure and in this phase they scored.

"At this point they deserved 1-1 but at the end I had the feeling we were close to the second, we hit the post after a brilliant corner.

"Maybe a little bit disappointed but overall the point is OK."

On Daniel Munoz: "It was a difficult game for him because he had to defend Callum Hudson-Odoi, who is very quick and you don't know when he'll go on his right or his left.

"He forced to defend but he also found ways in offense and at the end he was very unlucky to hit the post.

"We were always dangerous and this gives me a good feeling. This is what we're working on, the players on doing well.

"What we have to improve is to decide the game with the chances we have and also, when we have the lead, we have to score the second goal or have a clean sheet to win the game."

On the Forest goal: "Efficiency decides games and they had the efficiency today. They didn't have many chances because we defended most situations very well.

"We had a few problems getting pressure on the ball. But I had the feeling we controlled the game before but were at times a bit sloppy."

• Nottingham Forest have lost none of their eight Premier League meetings with Crystal Palace (W3 D5), both the most they’ve faced a side without ever losing and the most the Eagles have faced a side without ever winning.

• Nottingham Forest have gone 1-0 down in 17 different Premier League games this season with only Sheffield United (21), Luton (20) and Burnley (18) conceding first more often.

• Crystal Palace have failed to win any of their past nine Premier League away games (D4 L5), since a 2-0 win at Burnley in November. However, they have scored in all but one of those matches (a 5-0 loss at Arsenal in January).

• Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood has scored more headed goals than any other player in the Premier League this season (5).

• Jean-Philippe Mateta has five goal involvements in his past seven Premier League appearances for Crystal Palace (4 goals, 1 assist), as many as in his previous 25, while 2023-24 is now the Frenchman’s outright top scoring campaign (6 goals).

Nottingham Forest fought back to secure a point against Crystal Palace at the City Ground and move out of the Premier League relegation zone.

The hosts fell behind in their first match since being docked four points for financial rules breaches, with Jean-Philippe Mateta slotting home Eberechi Eze's perfect lay-off.

But Chris Wood equalised just after the hour mark, nodding Morgan Gibbs-White's floated pass over oncoming Palace keeper Dean Henderson for his 10th goal of the season.

Nuno Espirito Santo's Forest had dropped into the bottom three after their points deduction, but this point moves them up to 17th - above Luton on goal difference.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from elsewhere?

Forest fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

How did you rate the side's performance, Palace fans?

Follow all of the reaction here

Eight fixtures make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

BBC Radio 5 Live commentaries:

• Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace

• Aston Villa v Wolves

All times GMT

Listen to national and local radio commentaries and follow live text updates here

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's games, he takes on Gladiators star Bionic.

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

Nottingham Forest should have beaten Luton in their last game, and the points they dropped there could prove pivotal in their fight to stay up.

This is Forest's first game since the points deduction that saw them fall below the Hatters and drop into the relegation zone but they have been in wretched form recently, and I am not sure what kind of reaction we will see from them here.

Crystal Palace's last game was a draw against Luton too - I was at Selhurst Park to see it, but I still don't know what to expect from them under new boss Oliver Glasner.

Glasner has had a bit of time on the training ground with some of his players in the past couple of weeks so we might see some signs of that here.

I just don't see Forest losing this one, though. The big question is whether they will do enough to win it.

Bionic's prediction: 2-1

The points deduction might rally Forest a bit - they need it to, because their form has not been very good - but their fans will get behind them, which should help.

See the full list of predictions here

Oliver Glasner has been speaking to the media before Crystal Palace's trip to the City Ground on Saturday in the Premier League.

Here are the main lines from his news conference:

• On Michael Olise's return to fitness: “It’s good news, but he’s not in the squad [for Nottingham Forest]. He’s on the way back, but the Nottingham Forest game is too early. The Bournemouth game [on Tuesday] is too early too, then we will see in the next days."

• Elsewhere in the squad, Glasner confirmed Jeffrey Schlupp is available again after injury and Daniel Munoz is fit after a "small issue" while on international duty with Colombia.

• When asked about how injuries have impacted Palace's season, he said: "I don't care about ‘if, if, if’- I always concentrate on the players who are fit, because they are the guys who should win the game. They deserve my full attention."

• On making plans for the summer: "Of course we are talking. We had three weeks with no game in the international break. It's maybe not a daily discussion, but a weekly discussion, but there were no decisions taken yet."

• He expanded on how the club have used the break: "We had a very good week in Marbella with a good friendly game, 1-0 against Bodo/Glimt, so a clean sheet, which is always important. Then we had a good week – we didn’t communicate it until now – with a friendly game against Millwall. It was also a clean sheet for us. So it’s going in the right direction, and I think we did the best out of it that we could."

• Asked about how he is implementing his style, he said: "I think we're far away from where we want to end, because it's too short a time. The best thing is the players are so open-minded and are listening and trying their best. That's what we see in every session."

• On Nottingham Forest: "A team who have a lot of speed. Especially at home, they are a very good team, they [only] lost in the 98th minute against Liverpool. But I don't know if they will press us high, I don't know if they will let us play, I don't know if they want to stay in possession, or if they will play long balls."

• Glasner praised Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo: "I followed his career, especially when he was the manager at Wolverhampton [Wanderers] - a brilliant job there. Then he went to Tottenham. Yes, he is a fantastic manager, with a lot of Premier League experience and I have a lot of respect for him."

Listen to full match commentary of Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace on BBC Radio 5 Live

Crystal Palace want to sign 19-year-old Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera in the summer but face competition for the Spain Under-21 international from Atletico Madrid. (Evening Standard), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Crystal Palace are not alone in being impacted by injuries this season and that goes some way to explaining the struggles the side have faced.

You take the four best players out of any team and they would find it difficult to find any kind of consistent form.

Losing Cheick Doucoure, Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi for prolonged periods this season have ruined any real chance of the club progressing and had a direct impact on the change in management.

Now, Sam Johnstone returning from international duty with an injury that will possibly rule him out for the rest of the season is news we could have done without.

Eze has come back into the side and is performing, and we are expecting to see Doucoure, Olise and Guehi all return before the season is out which will be huge.

However, ultimately it will be Eze and Olise who we will be looking at to navigate us safely through the run-in to the end of the season with hopefully not too much drama.

Jay Crame can be found at The Eagles Beak, external

Image source, Getty Images

Since promotion to the Premier League in 2013, Crystal Palace have largely been stable - albeit not spectacular.

The Eagles have not finished below 15th in this period, avoiding the stress of late-season relegation battles by accumulating enough points to occupy a position somewhere between 11th and 15th.

However, since Glenn Murray's 30-goal haul in their Championship promotion season just over a decade ago, Palace have lacked the prolific goalscorer needed for fans to dream of more.

Their highest individual goal tally since Murray was Christian Benteke with 15 in 2016-17 - by some distance his best personal return for the club. Talismanic winger Wilfried Zaha found the net regularly before his move to Galatasaray last summer, but the most he managed was 14 in 2021-22 - one of only three seasons where he managed double figures for league goals.

In this time, Palace's top Premier League scorer has twice been then penalty taker Luka Milivojevic and four times been a player who has finished with fewer than 10 goals - Jordan Ayew, Yannick Bolasie, Jason Puncheon and Murray himself.

This season, Odsonne Edouard and key men Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze are tied on six each.

As our pundit Michael Brown wrote earlier on Eze and Olise, who have both missed chunks of the campaign through injury, "they need those two players fit". Without their spark, Palace can look ordinary in attack and they do not have a reliable marksman to rely on in their absence.

New manager Oliver Glasner seems in no danger of taking the Eagles down, but fan discontent over perceived lack of ambition, which really came to the fore in the final weeks under Roy Hodgson, is unlikely to go away unless a number nine is bought in over the summer.

Palace supporters do not expect to be challenging for Europe, but they do want the hope that one day it could be a possibility - and that their ceiling does not always have to be 11th.

Given their financial situation, bringing in a big name may not be plausible, but a man capable of bettering Benteke's 15 goals has to be top priority for the under fire board in the summer transfer window.

BBC Sport pundit Michael Brown has been answering your questions on all things Premier League.

Mike asked: What do Crystal Palace need in order to improve their performance in the final third?

Michael replied: Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise have been missing at times and that has given them inconsistency. They need those two players fit.

There is still talk of needing a number nine, a key striker who can bag 20 goals a season. That is an area of the pitch Oliver Glasner will be looking to change.

He has changed the set-up and style, but he will want to be more progressive and quicker in transition.

They need a number nine - but they must be realistic. Who can they go and get? Do you take a risk on someone people have not heard of?

Palace are in a tricky situation and it all depends on how much they can go and spend.

Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Here are the key facts and figures before Saturday's Premier League fixture between Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace.

• Nottingham Forest are unbeaten in their seven Premier League meetings with Crystal Palace. It is the most times they have faced a side without losing and the most times the Eagles have played an opponent without winning in the competition.

• Palace have won just one of their past 12 league games against Forest - a 1-0 victory at the City Ground in the Championship in December 2011.

• The Eagles are eithout a win in their past eight league away games, their longest such run since a 10-match streak between May and December 2017.

• Crystal Palace have conceded more goals in the final five minutes of Premier League games this season than any other side (14), including in their past two matches against Tottenham and Luton Town.

• Reds striker Chris Wood is one goal away from scoring 10 in the Premier League this season, and he has netted six goals in his past seven games in the competition. It would be the fifth time he has reached double figures since 2017-18 and he would become the seventh player to do so after Mohamed Salah (seven), Son Heung-min (seven), Harry Kane (six), Jamie Vardy (five), Raheem Sterling (five) and Sadio Mane (five).

• Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta has been involved in three goals in his past four league appearances (two goals, one assist), as many as in his previous 18. His five goals this season already equals his most in a campaign in the competition in 2021-22.

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live match commentary of Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace at 15:00 GMT on Saturday

Crystal Palace have had a more extended break from matches than most, but there are many areas of focus for the club over the next 10 games, on and off the pitch.

Here are three areas:

Continuing to improve attacking set-pieces

Despite creating 106 shots and generating 8.38xG (expected goals) from them, the team has been limited to three set-pieces goals all season. That is the largest 'underperformance' in the Premier League.

Oliver Glasner and his coaching staff have quickly started to address that shortcoming, with two of those goals scored in his first three matches – albeit one courtesy of a stunning Eberechi Eze free-kick against Tottenham.

Planning for player exits

One notable absence from Palace's line-up, Marc Guehi, may be injury enforced. The only consolation is that it has given Chris Richards extended game time in his 'natural' position at centre-back, having rarely had the chance since he arrived from Bayern Munich.

In all likelihood, Guehi will need to be a summer transfer away from the club as they seek to offset losses in their accounts for profit and sustainability reasons. This could be as soon as the end of June.

Therefore, there is an emphasis for Glasner and sporting director Dougie Freedman to assess which current back-up players can step up into starting spots and which areas require significant summer investment.

Stadium redevelopment

The proposed Selhurst Park improvements are always looming in the background as the club seeks to increase crowd capacity and income as part of a sustainability drive.

Without a confirmed start date and escalating estimated costs, there has been a sense that this has restricted on-pitch spending.

With many clubs competing for Palace's Premier League spot this season and in the future, progress on this front may have more significant implications for the team's long-term future than many on-pitch decisions.

Alex Pewter can be found on FYP podcast, external

BBC Sport pundit Michael Brown will be answering your questions, giving his insight and opinion around your club.

So what would you like to ask the former Premier League midfielder?

How does the rest of your season look? Who has been your best player? What does the manager's future hold?

Let us know what you want answered by sending in your questions here

Image source, Getty Images

Sam Johnstone has been sent to see a specialist about the elbow injury which led to him withdrawing from the England squad.

Johnstone did not feature in the Three Lions' 1-0 defeat by Brazil at Wembley and it was announced on Sunday that he had returned to his club.

It is now a wait to see if he will be fit for Crystal Palace's Premier League game at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

We asked you what the most irritating thing at your club has been this season, whether it be inconsistency, injuries or a player failing to deliver.

Here are some of your replies:

Simon: Giving players one-year extensions when they offer nothing to the squad over the course of a season. We have seven players out of contract in the summer, none of them first choice and none of them offering much. The starting XI have experience so no need to keep giving players contracts who are then injured, or constantly overlooked.

Allen: Injuries and not giving youth a chance. The injuries throughout the squads and not just the first team suggest bigger sport science issues at the club. But they have had a huge impact. Some great youth is coming through but they are hardly given a chance, even after they do well when they play. What is our youth policy?

Chris: For at least three seasons we have needed a decent striker. With the loss of Wilf Zaha it was even more important. I can only hope that Oliver Glasner will push for a striker who can pounce in the box.

Alison: Not concentrating at the beginning of each half or the final 15 minutes plus stoppage time! The number of goals conceded in first few minutes of each half and the last quarter is verging on the ridiculous!

Bob: The most frustrating thing about this season is the injuries. If we didn't have Michael Olise, Cheick Doucoure and Eberechi Eze out injured for most the season we would be much higher up the table. With a full-strength side we could beat most teams in the league, but Eze and Olise have only started three games together.

Richard: We are over the worst of it now, but my biggest gripe was the continuation of the Roy Hodgson era. It was a huge mistake to award him another season. I see now that the club already had their sights on Oliver Glasner and he wanted to have a break before starting in the Premier League, which at least shows the ambition of the board. Looking up from now on.

Image source, Getty Images

Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford has been brought into the England squad after Crystal Palace's Sam Johnstone withdrew because of injury.

Trafford, 21, helped England win the Euro Under-21 Championship last summer and this is his first senior call-up.

Defenders Kyle Walker and Harry Maguire have also pulled out following Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Brazil at Wembley, with Manchester City's Rico Lewis also promoted from the under-21 squad.

Manchester United's Maguire, Walker of Manchester City and Johnstone have returned to their clubs.

England face Belgium in a friendly on Tuesday.

As we approach the business end, we want to know the most irritating thing at your club this season.

Has it been a player failing to deliver, injury woes, inconsistent form... or something else?

Let us know your biggest gripe here

Crystal Palace may have had the weekend off, but they spent the previous week training in Marbella and enjoying a Thursday mid-season friendly against Bodo/Glimt of Norway.

In the wake of Oliver Glasner's appointment, the squad have focused on improving their conditioning, but the friendly itself gave opportunities to those on the fringes of the playing squad.

As one of Thursday's starters, fans got an extended look at Naouirou Ahamada. Since his reported 11m euro transfer from Stuttgart a year ago, Ahamada has been limited to 300 minutes in the Premier League, with few signs of a breakout performance.

While it may be harsh to view him as such, he is a rare blot on sporting director Dougie Freedman's transfer record over the past three or four seasons. Ahamada's transfer fee was comparatively low by league standards, but certainly impactful given Palace's tighter budget.

However, this may come down to the experience he has to fall back on.

After all, he arrived at Palace following half a season as a starter for Stuttgart. Even though that was a higher level on paper than the Championship, he came with less than half the senior game time of either Michael Olise or Marc Guehi when theyarrived at the club. This is an issue echoed by Matheus Franca, another player who differed from the 'typical' Freedman acquisition.

There is also the matter of his position within the team. Profiling as more of a ball-carrying central midfielder, or number eight, he lacked a natural role under Roy Hodgson once he shifted to a 4-2-3-1 formation this season.

His current route to playing time may be as one of Glasner's 'half-wingers' or number 10s, which may be more adapted to him, but he faces plenty of competition for either of those two spots.

The club will continue to have half a glance at the relegation battle beneath them but can stay focused on the future. Untangling this squad and assessing the depth players is part of the process for Glasner, and Ahamada remains a question mark to address.

Alex Pewter can be found on FYP podcast, external

Southampton will try to sign Argentine forward Matias Soule from Juventus if they are promoted to the Premier League, while Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and Aston Villa are also interested in the 20-year-old. (Calciomercato - in Italian), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Fans left Selhurst Park on Saturday disappointed and frustrated with a late draw, and the gap between Crystal Palace and 18th-placed Luton Town remaining closer in the league table than many had hoped.

Luton have been the archetypal bogey team this season, as 19% of their points have come against a team from south London.

With calmer heads prevailing after the weekend, it’s important to reflect on Oliver Glasner’s team dominating the match in terms of chances rather than raging at the final outcome.

The team ended with their second-highest shot tally this season, which was exceeded only by the opener away to Sheffield United, and accumulated their highest expected goals (xG) value. In that sense, even if the team could be accused of being wasteful in places, they are moving in the right direction.

Palace are, after all, an imperfect attacking side at this stage, with Jean-Philippe Mateta embodying that on the pitch. His hardworking performances have ascended him to cult-hero status this season since taking hold of the starting role in December, even if he has flaws like his team.

While no one will be critical of his overall performance, he will no doubt be disappointed to have not come away with at least a second goal to kill the game.

Perhaps being able to focus on missed attacking chances rather than just late conceded goals highlights a mentality shift in progress.

For now, the Palace squad heads for warm-weather training in Spain and a friendly against Norwegian Champions Bodo/Glimt as Glasner continues to work with his new squad.

Alex Pewter can be found on FYP podcast, external

Crystal Palace's French winger Michael Olise, 22, is high on Manchester United's summer wishlist. (Football Transfers), external

Want more transfer news? Read Tuesday's full gossip column