Nottingham Forest aim to extend their unbeaten run against Crystal Palace when they meet at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon. The Premier League fixture pits the 13th-placed Reds against a Palace side sitting 15th, with both teams seeking a win to build momentum. Forest's current position in the standings is built on five points from five games, a tally they are eager to improve starting with this match.
Pierre Sage's side have a formidable recent record in this fixture, avoiding defeat in their last 11 meetings across all competitions. Their last five visits to Selhurst Park have all ended in draws, including a 1-1 result last February. Forest arrive with a mixed start to the season, sitting on five points from five games after a 1-0 home loss to Coventry last time out. That defeat was their first at home this campaign, and they will be looking to their squad to respond positively on the road.
Team news and absences
Crystal Palace face significant selection problems. They will be without the suspended defender Axel Disasi and are missing several injured players including Jean-Philippe Mateta, Dean Henderson and Chadi Riad. Takehiro Tomiyasu is also ruled out with a calf issue. The full extent of Palace's injuries list presents a major challenge for manager Pierre Sage.
Nottingham Forest have a much cleaner bill of health. Only defenders Nikola Milenkovic and Nicolo Savona are confirmed absentees. This leaves manager Oliver Glasner with a strong attacking group to choose from, with Morgan Gibbs-White, Liam Delap, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus all available. Glasner will hope this availability translates into goals, as Forest's stats show four of their five league games this term have been goalless at half-time.
Managerial subplot
Oliver Glasner returns to the club he previously managed, a period described as one of the most successful in Palace's history. The Forest boss will be keen to get one over his former employers.
His counterpart, Pierre Sage, acknowledged the challenge.
Match details
The match kicks off at 14:00 BST on Sunday, October 11, and will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Ultra HDR. Following this fixture, Forest's next challenge is a home game against West Ham United, as seen on the club's fixtures list.
Forest's last away trip brought a 2-1 victory at Aston Villa, with goals from Liam Delap and Igor Jesus. They will need similar sharpness to break a pattern where four of their five league games this term have been goalless at half-time. The focus now turns entirely to maintaining their impressive hold over Palace in South London.
