Nottingham Forest picked up their first home win of the Premier League season thanks to Chris Wood’s speculative long-range strike.
The 32-year-old’s fifth goal of the season lifted Forest up to eighth place while winless Palace remain in the bottom three.
Forest were without key playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White but managed to create plenty of chances in an open and entertaining game.
But the way to goal still proved elusive until Wood fired in a shot from 25 yards and former Forest goalkeeper Dean Henderson was unable to keep it out.
You're welcome, @OfficialFPL managers 😎 pic.twitter.com/yZ9EY7rott
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) October 21, 2024
“We needed a home win and we’ve got it,” Wood said on Sky Sports.
“It’s just about being consistent for us. We are looking good and we showed that we have a full squad who can compete.
“As a striker you have to keep going because there will be a chance around the corner.”
Palace, who left last season’s prolific forward Jean-Philippe Mateta on the bench until the 66th minute, matched Forest’s haul of 20 shots on goal but again drew a blank despite hitting the woodwork twice.
They have failed to score at all in half of their eight matches, with Eddie Nketiah still looking for a first league goal for the club.
Palace’s failure to win in the first eight games of a season is a first for them since the first year in the Premier League – and they were relegated in 1992-3 on goal difference.
‘We don’t score goals’
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner speaking to Sky Sports: “We are all frustrated and disapppointed and as always one or two situations decide the game. At the moment it goes against us, but this is the time we have to get through it together.
“I saw the team fighting from the first to the last second, we created chances, hit the post twice. At the moment we don’t score goals and we have to be honest. No goal today, no goal v Liverpool, no goal v United, and if you play like this it is difficult to win.
“We make one mistake and we get punished. That is the situation we are in. But the only guys that can turn it around are this team.”
