Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest is gearing up to be a fiery affair after the drama over the summer, and we have three predictions for this fixture.
Forest started the season with three points after a dominant 3-1 win against Brentford, meanwhile their opposition held Chelsea to a goalless draw.
Chris Wood says the players aren’t bothered about the drama. However, both sets of fans will certainly be up for the game, and you can expect a loud atmosphere.
Here are the three things we are expecting to happen as the Eagles host the Tricky Trees.
Elliot Anderson will take the headlines again
Elliot Anderson said he wanted more goals and assists, and last week he started as he means to go on, earning praise across the footballing world.
The Englishman stole the headlines, despite Chris Wood scoring twice, and shouts for Anderson’s inclusion in the England squad began.
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There is no reason to suggest he is going to take his foot off the gas, and against Crystal Palace, he’ll want to prove those fans right, and send a message to Thomas Tuchel.
Douglas Luiz won’t start for Nottingham Forest
The arrival of Douglas Luiz has the Garibaldi excited, but after only just signing, and with Elliot Anderson and Ibrahima Sangare impressing in the previous match, the Brazilian will have to settle for the bench.
He has only had a couple of days to train with his new teammates, and chucking him in straight away may not be smart, especially after last week’s impressive performance.
The signing of Luiz has been praised by pundits, and perhaps the idea of him being benched will come as a disappointment,
However, we do expect the former Juventus man to get minutes at some point throughout the match. Over time, it is likely that he cements himself as a consistent member of the starting XI, but he will need to get to grips with what Nuno expects of him first.
There won’t be a lot of goals
If you are hoping for a goal-fest, then this fixture may not be the one for you.
Historically, this match-up has barely featured goals with just three scored across last season’s games. Before then, you have to go back to 2012 to find either side score more than once against each other.
Crystal Palace have also just lost one of their main players up top, as Eberechi Eze has joined Arsenal. ‘The Eagles will no doubt be less threatening, only adding to the likelihood of similar scorelines to those of the past.
Additionally, while Forest did score three against Brentford, Crystal Palace looked excellent defensively against Chelsea. A result that looks even better after a Palmer-less Chelsea put five goals past West Ham.
If the Tricky Trees are to win, they may have to do so with a clean sheet.