Premier League: Palace and Forest Work on Different Priorities

Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest

Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest will meet at Selhurst Park this Monday, and both aim to win this Premier League match for different reasons.

The hosts are keen to sneak into the Top 10 of the English top-flight standings. Crystal Palace are 12th with 45 points – five points adrift of 10th-seeded Bournemouth. More importantly, they plan to build momentum ahead of their unexpected FA Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley Stadium two weeks from now. Oliver Glasner’s men are winless in their last four league matches.

On the other hand, Nottingham Forest’s Champions League hopes are slipping away. After an inconsistent run of results, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side has fallen to sixth in the table with 60 points, level with fifth-seeded Chelsea. However, a win could propel them back to fourth place.

Learn more about these two teams by reading today’s SBOTOP preview and let us know who you think will win.

 

Talking Points

Eze’s time to shine with Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace could find themselves in a difficult position after this season, as they might be tempted to sell their key players in the summer transfer window. And one of them could be Eberechi Eze.

After selling Michael Olise to Bayern Munich last year, Eze has stepped up as the Eagles’ top playmaker. The 26-year-old can operate as an attacking midfielder or a winger, and he already has four league goals and eight assists this season.

Eze reminded us of his class during Crystal Palace’s 3-0 rout of Aston Villa in last weekend’s FA Cup semi-finals. The Englishman was named Man of the Match for scoring the first goal after the half-hour mark and winning a second-half penalty that Jean-Philippe Mateta fired wide. Eze, who also scored in their 2-2 draw against Arsenal, has formed a strong partnership with Mateta and Ismaila Sarr, and Nottingham Forest’s backline is in for a long night this Monday.

Head coach Oliver Glasner will likely keep his same starting XI against the Tricky Trees since he has no new injury concerns. Chadi Riad and Cheick Doucoure are still in the medical room, and Matt Turner is ineligible to face his mother club.

 

Hudson-Odoi questionable for Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest’s slump continues, as they are coming off a 2-0 loss against Brentford yesterday. Not only did they lose the game, but they also lost one of their best attackers in the process.

Callum Hudson-Odoi limped off the field in the 46th minute and was replaced by Nicolas Dominguez. Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo said the 24-year-old winger “felt something” in his hamstring, so Hudson-Odoi has the questionable tag ahead of the Crystal Palace game. Hudson-Odoi is the team’s joint third-leading scorer with five league goals and two assists and has formed a strong link-up with Anthony Elanga and Chris Wood.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest are happy to see Ola Aina back in the mix last night. The 28-year-old full-back looked rusty against the Bees, especially since his untimely slip led to a Kevin Schade goal, but he should do much better this Monday.

 

History

Nottingham Forest won 1-0 in the reverse fixture at City Ground last October, as Chris Wood scored the marginal goal in the 65th minute. The Tricky Trees have never lost in nine Premier League encounters with the Eagles (W4, D5), making them the only opponent they have faced more than twice in the English top-flight without losing. 

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have won nine Premier League away matches this season. They aim to reach their 10th such win in a season for the first time since 1994-95, when they finished third in the standings.

​Overall, Crystal Palace have only won one of their last 14 league meetings against Nottingham Forest (D6, L7). Their last such victory was a 1-0 result in the Championship in December 2011.

 

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2025 odds predict a tight battle between Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest. Despite their inferior form, the Eagles have a slight edge at 2.25 odds, whereas the Tricky Trees aren’t far behind at 2.96, and a draw is at 3.14 in the 1X2 market.

With both sides likely to play counterattack football, we don’t expect too many Premier League 2025 highlights from this contest. Besides our recommended bet, bettors can also go for alternatives like Under 2.75 at 1.68, Under 2.25 at 2.16, and even Total Goal 0-1 at 3.03. Moreover, a Correct Score of 1-0 in favour of Nottingham Forest – the result of the reverse fixture – could yield a payday worth 9.20 your bet.

   

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