Palace Trip And Stumble But Find A Way To Beat Forest

The Eagles delivered a thrilling afternoon for the Selhurst Park faithful, overcoming Nottingham Forest with a performance that did not start well but ended up packed with quality, intensity and attacking intent on their way to a deserved victory.

MATCH INFORMATION

OFFICIALS

PLAYER RATINGS

Crystal Palace

Nottingham Forest

POST GAME QUOTES

PIERRE SAGE

“We are happy to win this game. We struggled a lot against a good team. They analysed us very well. In the end we won and that is the most important thing. The most important moment was when Benitez saved to prevent them going two goals ahead. At this moment, we stayed in the game. We were not perfect but we are a team with a big heart and big solidarity. Sometimes you must win like this. The message is everyone is important because the season is long.”

OLIVER GLASNER

“We didn’t kill the game off and we should have done creating so many chances. It looks like it is just me who is responsible for this, call it karma or whatever but it was like I didn’t deserve to win at Selhurst Park because the players did everything. Nobody to blame for anything, the effort was there and the quality was there.

A huge thank you to the Palace supporters and the Forest supporters. It is not often you are supported from both sides, so thank you very much.”

MATCH STATISTICS

BOB’S POINT OF VIEW

Bob White was a coach at Palace under the tenure of Steve Coppell and Alan Smith and will be sharing his point of view each week in our review article.

“After such a long international break, it was no surprise to witness an unpredictable game which was so open that a 6-6 final score line wasn’t out of the question!

Defensively we were often at sixes and sevens with no apparent structure. A poor error gifted Forest an early goal and we could easily have been two down if Benitez had not pulled off an outstanding save. It proved to be the critical turning point of the game.

To our credit, the players showed resilience in coming back from the early set back but for most of the first half we were regularly overrun in midfield and exposed at far post defensive areas.

However, two goals in the space of five minutes before half time by Kamada and Lerma changed the whole complexion of the game. But even when Pino scored our third goal in the second half, defensively we had to survive some tense moments.

Fortunately, we saw the Glasner we know of old. No realistic Plan B apart from hopeful crosses into the box. From a team who pressed high in a coordinated way in the first half they transitioned into a shapeless predictable approach for the final quarter of the game.

Ultimately, the three points is all that matters but there needs to be a further focus on our defending. We still allow too many crosses into and opposition touches in our penalty box. A better team would have punished us more.

Individually, a mention in dispatches for Benitez, Canvot and Timber especially, but my man of the match goes to Kamada.

On to Lyon in midweek before Brighton away next Sunday. Today’s result should bring confidence to the team in facing a challenging few weeks ahead.

TEB VERDICT

This victory felt like another significant step forward under Pierre Sage.

While the scoreline perhaps flattered the hosts, it was the manner of the performance that will have most pleased the Selhurst Park faithful. Once the Eagles had got through a poor opening 20 minutes, they played found confidence, purpose and control, and looking dangerous whenever they moved forward while remaining disciplined out of possession.

Forest arrived with a reputation for being difficult to break down, but Palace’s movement and attacking intent continually asked questions of the visitors’ defence. When Forest threatened to build momentum, Palace responded positively and never allowed the game to slip from their grasp.

There were impressive performances throughout the side, with the midfield providing the platform for success and the attacking players showing the quality needed to turn possession into goals. Equally encouraging was the team’s resilience, refusing to panic when faced with adversity and maintaining their game plan throughout.

The final whistle was greeted with a sense that this was more than just three points. Palace looked a team growing in confidence, understanding exactly what their manager demands, and capable of causing problems for any side in the division. If performances of this quality become the norm, supporters can dare to look upward rather than over their shoulders.

LEAGUE POSITION

UPCOMING FIXTURES