🏏 Sun, 11 Oct 2026 14:00 BST
Crystal Palace
vs
Nottingham Forest
3-4-2-1 vs 3-4-2-1
Substitutes
Substitutes
Match Preview
- This is a direct meeting between two sides separated by a single point near the bottom: Crystal Palace sit 15th on four points (1-1-3, goal difference -5), Nottingham Forest 13th on five (1-2-2, -1). Both have managed just one win from five matches while leaders Manchester City have already banked 15 points from the same number of games, so three points here would create vital breathing space over Tottenham (3) and Fulham (2).
- Their recent patterns pull in opposite directions. Palace's L-L-W-L-D run contains only one victory, a 3-2 win away at Fulham, and at Selhurst Park they have been beaten 4-1 by Manchester City and 3-2 by Ipswich on the way to shipping 11 goals in five. Forest drew 2-2 at Anfield and won 2-1 at Aston Villa, but lost 1-0 at home to both Leeds and Coventry, making them a far better travelling side than a hosting one.
- Both managers have set up in a 3-4-2-1, so the battle in the middle four will shape the game. Palace pair 22-year-old Adam Wharton, a Euro 2024 squad member whose left foot sets the tempo, with Dutch international Quinten Timber, an Ajax academy product who arrived via Utrecht, Feyenoord and Marseille. Forest counter with Austria's Xaver Schlager, a 51-cap destroyer signed from RB Leipzig, alongside left-footed James McAtee, who captained England to the 2025 Under-21 European title.
- Daniel Munoz returns to a former club, having worn the Palace shirt before moving to the City Ground. The 30-year-old Colombia international, who made 148 appearances for Genk, is an aggressive overlapping right wing-back whose combative style made him a crowd favourite. He will go head to head with Tyrick Mitchell, the academy-produced left wing-back with more than 180 games for Palace.
- Japan international Daichi Kamada lines up as one of two No.10s behind Jorgen Strand Larsen alongside Jeremy Pino. The 30-year-old attacking midfielder, who won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt after leaving Sagan Tosu via Sint-Truiden, and later played for Lazio, is at his best threading through balls and arriving late in the box. He also helped Palace lift the 2025 FA Cup, and unlocking Schlager's protected central zone will largely fall to him.
- The centre-forward duel carries plenty of weight. Strand Larsen, a 193cm Norway international signed from Wolves for a club-record £48m, offers aerial presence and hold-up play as Palace's focal point. Forest counter with Liam Delap, the 23-year-old Manchester City academy graduate who starred during Ipswich's top-flight campaign before a £30m move to Chelsea; with Forest having scored only four times in five games, his runs in behind are a vital outlet.
- Forest's five goals conceded in five matches reflect a resilient back three built around Murillo, the left-footed Brazilian signed from Corinthians, and Ousmane Diomande, the 190cm Ivory Coast defender who joined on a four-year deal from Sporting CP in August 2026. Palace answer with 20-year-old Jaydee Canvot, formerly of Toulouse, USA international Chris Richards of Bayern Munich pedigree, and midfielder-by-trade Jefferson Lerma, a combination tasked with repairing a leaky defence.
- Experience fills both goalmouths. Mats Sels, 34, was named Ligue 1's best goalkeeper during his Strasbourg days and also spent time at Newcastle before establishing himself as Belgium's shot-stopper. Walter Benitez, 33, won back-to-back Eredivisie titles at PSV and collected a league goalkeeper of the year award with Nice. If the match stays tight, their handling and one-on-one work could decide the points.
- Both benches carry genuine firepower. Palace can turn to Eddie Nketiah, scorer of 38 goals in 168 Arsenal appearances, Senegal winger Ismaila Sarr, a former Watford player of the year, and Dwight McNeill, long a creative force at Everton. Forest hold back 191cm New Zealand captain Chris Wood, Callum Hudson-Odoi with Champions League and Europa League medals from Chelsea, and Ibrahim Sangare, the PSV-honed anchor, meaning late substitutions could swing this one.