Nottingham Forest vs Crystal Palace Prediction - Premier League: A battle to avoid relegation

Thanh Vinh•February 1, 2026 08:11

Nottingham Forest host Crystal Palace at City Ground in a crucial six-point match. Both teams are striving to move away from the relegation zone, with the gap currently at just three points.

At 9:00 PM on February 1st, 2026, City Ground will witness a tense clash between Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace. This is a crucial match for both teams in their efforts to remain in the top flight of English football. Nottingham Forest currently sits 17th with 25 points, while Crystal Palace is two places higher at 15th with 28 points.

Context and importance of the match

This match takes place in the 24th round of the Premier League, where any mistake could cost you relegation. Crystal Palace are experiencing an alarming run of form, having failed to win in their last five matches (two draws, three losses). On the other hand, Nottingham Forest, despite their inconsistent form, have still managed to accumulate important points with two wins in their last five games.

Performance and goal-scoring statistics

Nottingham Forest have played 23 matches this season, scoring 23 goals but conceding 34. At their home ground, City Ground, they have only won 3 out of 11 matches, a record that needs improvement if they want to secure three points against the Eagles. On average, the home team scores 1.0 goal and concedes 1.5 goals per game.

Crystal Palace have shown a surprisingly strong performance, with 5 away wins out of their 7 wins so far this season. However, Palace's attack hasn't been particularly explosive, averaging only 1.0 goal per game. The visitors' strength lies in their defense, which is considerably more solid than their opponents', having conceded only 28 goals in 23 league matches.

Head-to-head history: Matches that ended in a stalemate.

Historical data suggests that matches between Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace often end in draws. In their last five encounters since October 2023, four ended in a draw. Nottingham Forest's only victory came in October 2024 with a minimal 1-0 win. Notably, all five of these matches saw very few goals scored, indicating an overly cautious approach from both managers when facing each other.

Military situation: Losses on both sides of the front.

Both teams entered this match with fairly long injury lists, directly impacting their squad strength:

Nottingham Forest:The biggest blow is the absence of key striker Chris Wood due to a knee injury. John Victor is also out for the same reason, while N. Savona's availability remains uncertain.
Crystal Palace:The visiting team suffered even greater losses as N. Clyne, Daichi Kamada, and Eddie Nketiah were all absent due to muscle and hamstring injuries. In particular, midfielder Adam Wharton will be unavailable due to suspension (red card). Cheick Doucoure's availability is currently uncertain.

Tactical analysis and predictions

With home advantage and Crystal Palace facing personnel and form crises, Nottingham Forest is considered slightly more likely to win (45%). However, the probability of a draw is also very high (45%), reflecting the dramatic nature and balance often seen in the history of encounters between the two teams.

The match is predicted to be low-scoring as both teams are missing key attacking players. A safer bet for fans is for Nottingham Forest to draw or win in a tight game.

Team lineup updated at 20:23 on 01/02/2026

Official lineup