Crystal Palace's Yeremy Pino (right) celebrates scoring their side's third goal of the game during the Premier League match at Selhurst Park, London. Picture date: Sunday October 11, 2026. (Image: PA)
Crystal Palace's Yeremy Pino (right) celebrates scoring their side's third goal of the game during the Premier League match at Selhurst Park, London. Picture date: Sunday October 11, 2026. (Image: PA)
Crystal Palace secured their first home win of the Premier League season at the expense of the Eagles' former manager Oliver Glasner, as they came from behind to beat Nottingham Forest 3-1.
It was a calamitous start for Palace, with Nottingham Forest opening the scoring after three minutes, silencing the majority at Selhurst Park.
Anan Khalaili's attempt to head the ball back to Walter Benitez from miles out instead dropped right into the path of Dan Ndoye, who curled past the Argentine and into the bottom corner.
Khalaili almost made amends moments later as his first-time cross was poked goalwards by Jørgen Strand Larsen and somehow kept out by a scrambling Matz Sels.
The hosts struggled to contain Forest at all in the opening 20 minutes, and Ndoye was only denied his brace by a save from point-blank range by Benitez. Desperate defending was needed from the following corners as Ousmane Diomande had a couple of close-range shots blocked at the last.
Selhurst Park had their hearts in their mouth as Forest squandered another golden opportunity to double their lead, with the former Palace full-back, Daniel Muñoz, putting his half-volley from close range wide.
Benitez was doing his utmost best to make sure that Forest did not extend their lead. First, Morgan Gibbs-White crashed an effort off the underside of the crossbar, which bounced perfectly for Liam Delap to hit on the half-volley; however, Benitez somehow got back up to make an incredible save with his midriff.
Palace took advantage of Forest's constant squandering chances with an equaliser five minutes before half-time. A lovely bit of interplay in the middle of the pitch saw the ball find Daichi Kamada, who poked the ball over Sels from close range.
There were groans around Selhurst Park as VAR checked the goal, though those quickly changed into deafening cheers once it was confirmed.
The Eagles were soaring and made it 2-1 seconds before half-time; Adam Wharton’s inswinging corner was headed down by Jefferson Lerma and through the legs of Sels.
Forest had one final chance to equalise seconds before the break, only for Dan Ndoye to get it all wrong and blaze it over.
The mood had changed in an instant at Selhurst with an eruption of cheers for the Palace players as they walked off at half-time.
Forest came close to making it 2-2 three minutes into the second half as Gibbs White won another header at the back post which deflected off the post and bobbled around before Benitez claimed.
This time it was Forest’s calamitous defending which Crystal Palace took advantage of to make it 3-1; Strand Larsen had a shot from close range blocked by Sels, though it was parried out to the path of Yéremy Pino, who slotted into an open net. For the third time in the game, there were groans around Selhurst as VAR took their time to check the goal, but once again, those quickly turned into cheers.
Palace were really in the mood, with Sels having to deny Strand Larsen from close range again in order to deny Forest from going 4-1 down, but the visitors looked out of ideas. They wasted another chance as Ndoye latched onto Sels' goal-kick and raced through on goal, smashing the ball into the side netting.
Benitez was having a stunning afternoon as he denied Chris Wood from point-blank range again. Gibbs-White’s cross was met with a bullet header from the Kiwi, and once again the keeper reacted quickly to push the ball up and away.
Chris Richards almost put the cherry on the cake in added time, but his header flew past the wrong side of the left post. It wouldn’t matter for much, though, as Crystal Palace won a Premier League game at Selhurst Park for the first time since April.
The Eagles first Premier League win over Forest also meant the hosts leaped Nottingham Forest in the table, and into 12th.