Why was Nottingham Forest’s resilience going to be tested by a Crystal Palace side struggling for form and fitness?
At The City Ground on Sunday 1 February 2026, Forest’s battle to climb away from the Premier League drop zone intersected with Palace’s bid to arrest a slump of results. Both managers were acutely aware that points here could shape the season’s trajectory; for Forest it was about stabilising a fragile defence, and for Palace it was about rediscovering cutting edge with a depleted forward line. Headlines in the build-up touched on tactical rebalance and the strain of squad attrition. Crucially, this game was a chess match between Sean Dyche’s pragmatic organisation and Oliver Glasner’s need to coax creativity from a thin roster.
🩺 Nottingham Forest Injury & Fitness Notes
| Nottingham Forest |
|---|
| Out / Ruled Out | Chris Wood | Knee injury (unavailable) |
| Out / Ruled Out | John Victor | Knee injury (sidelined) |
| Out / Ruled Out | Nicolo Savona | Knee injury (unavailable) |
⚠️ Crystal Palace Fitness Picture
| Crystal Palace |
|---|
| Out / Ruled Out | Daichi Kamada | Hamstring injury (unavailable) |
| Out / Ruled Out | Eddie Nketiah | Thigh injury (out) |
| Questionable | Adam Wharton | Suspension status (fitness watch) |
🟢 Team Lineups & Starting Elevens
| Nottingham Forest |
|---|
| GK | Matz Sels | Starting goalkeeper |
| DF | Ola Aina | Left back duties |
| MF | Morgan Gibbs-White | Creative midfield spark |
| FW | Callum Hudson-Odoi | Wide attacking outlet |
| Crystal Palace |
|---|
| GK | Dean Henderson | In goal for Palace |
| DF | Maxence Lacroix | Central defensive presence |
| MF | Jefferson Lerma | Midfield work rate |
| FW | Ismaïla Sarr | Leading attacking threat |
Tactical foyers in the build-up honed in on Forest’s low block and organised transitions, as Dyche leaned on Gibbs-White’s ability to link midfield phases with forward thrusts. Palace’s shape under Glasner favoured a back three with wide midfield support, seeking to stretch play and create overloads on the flanks while managing a lean forward corps. This duel between structure and creation framed the match’s narrative.
- Forest aimed to convert home pressure into points to climb out of the relegation zone.
- Palace needed to rediscover attacking rhythm after a difficult run of results.
- Both sides faced frontline absences that forced tactical adaptability.
| ⚽Get Links For Full Match |
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| 🥅 Watch and Download | Servers# |
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Watch and Download Nottingham Forest vs Crystal Palace full match replay and highlights, At Sunday 1 February 2026. The match played at The City Ground , in Premier League, England.
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