Crystal Palace overturned a deficit to defeat Nottingham Forest 3-1 at Selhurst Park, spoiling Oliver Glasner’s comeback to his old club. Forest went ahead early via Dan Ndoye, yet strikes from Daichi Kamada, Jefferson Lerma, and Yeremy Pino flipped the contest.
Glasner, who guided Palace to FA Cup and Conference League glory before departing at the conclusion of last season, assumed control at Forest during the summer. His team appeared dominant for large portions of the first half but could not preserve their lead, as Palace netted twice before the interval and added another after the restart.
Crystal Palace comeback stuns Nottingham Forest
Forest began perfectly when Ndoye scored with a low strike in the third minute. They kept controlling play for most of the opening period, and Liam Delap nearly doubled the advantage, only for Walter Benitez to make a superb close-range stop.
Palace found it difficult to settle into the match, and Forest also posed a threat through Morgan Gibbs-White, whose shot hit the crossbar. Delap’s rebound was once more kept out by Benitez, a pivotal moment that prevented the hosts from falling further behind.
The tide turned four minutes before the break when Kamada completed a slick team move to claim his first Premier League goal. In the depths of first-half stoppage time, Lerma headed Palace ahead, capping an extraordinary reversal right before the whistle.
Pino netted a third after the interval, placing the ball into the lower corner and causing Palace fans to aim chants at their former manager. Benitez subsequently produced another strong save to stop substitute Chris Wood, denying Forest a way back into the match and a late push.
Oliver Glasner’s return to Crystal Palace
Glasner left Palace at the end of last season after leading the club to its first major trophy in the FA Cup, then followed by European triumph in the Conference League. His accomplishments turned his return to Selhurst Park as Forest manager into a significant event for the home crowd.
For much of the first half, though, Palace supporters had cause for concern. Forest seemed to read their opponents well, with Glasner’s familiarity with his former team possibly aiding his side in dictating play. Palace looked shaky at the back while Forest attacked with assurance.
The equaliser altered the game, and Palace gained belief after moving in front. Lerma also came close to another goal, but his header was kept out well by Mats Selz.
The win was Palace’s second of the campaign and moved them up to 12th in the Premier League. Forest, in contrast, fell to 14th. After losing three of their opening five fixtures, Palace’s revival gave their fans fresh hope, while another loss intensified the pressure on Pierre Sage.
Nottingham Forest frustration over Lerma’s goal
Forest departed Selhurst Park with doubts about how their dominant first-half display had fallen apart. They had appeared sharp and threatening in attack, but their grip on the match weakened following Kamada’s equaliser.
The visitors also had misgivings about Palace’s second goal, scored by Lerma just before half-time. The header at first seemed to go through Selz’s legs and into the net, but replays indicated the ball had brushed the elbow of Anan Khalaili.
Forest could feel hard done by that the goal was allowed, especially after Neco Williams had a goal disallowed for handball against Tottenham. In that instance, Williams forced the ball over the line on the goal-line.
The controversy left Forest on the losing side of two handball calls, even though the situations were not exactly the same.
VAR decision on Crystal Palace’s second goal
Football issues correspondent Dale Johnson clarified that Forest could contend Lerma’s goal should have been ruled out because a goal cannot be scored if the ball makes contact with an arm. However, VAR found no definitive evidence to step in.
Johnson also pointed out that there was an argument that the proof of handball by Khalaili was clearer than in the incident involving Williams against Tottenham. That contrast added to Forest’s annoyance over the call.
Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann stated that, after multiple replays and varying camera angles, it seemed Lerma’s header had touched Khalaili’s arm before crossing the line.
Cann nonetheless backed the VAR process, maintaining that officials cannot spend an excessive amount of time arriving at a decision. If clear and indisputable evidence is not immediately available, he said, the on-field decision has to remain.