Nottingham Forest’s Champions League Hopes Endure Despite Draw with Crystal Palace
================================================================================
Nottingham Forest remain in the hunt for a Champions League spot after a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. The result, reported live by the BBC, sees Forest stay sixth in the Premier League table, two points behind Newcastle and Chelsea, who occupy fourth and fifth place respectively.
The match got off to a slow start, with both teams struggling to create clear-cut chances in the first half. According to the BBC’s live coverage, Daniel Munoz delivered a superb cross to an unmarked player, but they could only sweep an awkward volley straight at Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels. Anthony Elanga also failed to complete a blistering counter-attack when he sent his strike at Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
The deadlock was finally broken just after the hour mark, when Eberechi Eze opened the scoring from the spot for Palace. The BBC reported that Eze’s penalty was awarded after the video assistant referee (VAR) intervened to show Sels taking out Tyrick Mitchell in the penalty area. Eze slammed his penalty into the left corner, giving Palace the lead.
However, Forest’s lead was short-lived, as Murillo flicked on Neco Williams’ powerful strike past Henderson just four minutes later. The goal was a crucial one for Forest, as it kept their hopes of a Champions League spot alive. As the BBC noted, “The goals arrived after a lacklustre first half, in which each side lacked quality in front of goal.”
The match then entered a frantic spell, with both teams creating chances. Ismaila Sarr was kept out by the onrushing Sels, while Maxence Lacroix made a crucial block at the other end to stop Chris Wood from scoring his 20th Premier League goal of the season. The BBC’s live coverage also noted that Wood felt he should have been awarded a first-half penalty when he was pulled back by Munoz, but referee Andrew Madley waved away the appeals and VAR quickly backed up his decision.
In the end, the draw was a fair result, with neither team able to find a winner. The BBC reported that substitute Eddie Nketiah thought he had won the game at the death for Palace when he prodded a wide shot from Eze into the back of the net, but their celebrations were cut short by the offside flag. The result keeps Forest sixth, two points behind Newcastle and Chelsea, while Palace remain 12th and are three points away from equalling their best Premier League points tally of 49, set last season.
According to the BBC, “The draw keeps Forest sixth, two points behind Newcastle and Chelsea – in fourth and fifth – with three games remaining.” As the BBC noted, “Palace remain 12th and are three points away from equalling their best Premier League points tally of 49, set last season.” With three games remaining, Forest will look to secure a top-six finish and a potential Champions League spot.
This article is based on a report from the BBC. The original article can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c4grd7weyljt.
Source link
