EPL: Forest puts palace in place with 1-0 win

Dean Henderson’s mistake against his former club proved costly for Crystal Palace, as Chris Wood’s second-half goal secured a 1-0 victory for Nottingham Forest, lifting them to eighth in the Premier League. Henderson let Wood’s low shot from outside the box slip through his hands, leaving Palace still searching for their first league win this season and positioned in the bottom three.

Despite Eddie Nketiah and Eberechi Eze both hitting the woodwork, Palace remains the lowest-scoring team in the league, with only five goals from their first eight matches. In contrast, Nottingham Forest is enjoying a strong start to the season, moving above Manchester United and Newcastle into the top half of the table.

Nuno Espirito Santo watched his team secure their first home win since April from the stands due to a three-match touchline ban, while Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, began a five-game stadium suspension following his behavior during a previous match.

Despite missing several key players, Forest showcased a striker in form, as only Erling Haaland and Cole Palmer have scored more Premier League goals than Wood since Santo took charge in December. Henderson, who had helped keep Forest up during his loan last season, had a disappointing moment when he failed to prevent Wood’s effort from finding the net.

Wood commented on the goal, saying, “I don’t score many from outside the box. You just try to get it on target, and thankfully it went in.” Meanwhile, Matz Sels made an impressive save to deny Eze’s powerful shot and later tipped over a rising drive from Jeffrey Schlupp.

Nketiah also struck the post in the first half, continuing his wait for a Premier League goal since his £30 million move from Arsenal. Despite their struggles, Palace is only one point from safety, as Ipswich, Southampton, and Wolves have also yet to secure a win.

Palace captain Marc Guehi acknowledged the team’s challenges, stating, “We’re creating chances, but any slight mistake gets punished at the moment. When the world’s against you, you have to keep fighting.”