Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest. Premier League.
Selhurst ParkAttendance25,198.
Match report and highlights as Nottingham Forest finish 16th in Premier League after dogged 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park; visitors took lead against the run of play through Taiwo Awoniyi; Will Hughes levelled in second half with his first goal for the Eagles
Sunday 28 May 2023 23:50, UK
Nottingham Forest held firm and frustrated Crystal Palace with a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park.
The result sees Steve Cooper's side finish in 16th spot in the Premier League - having guaranteed survival with a 1-0 win over Arsenal last time out. Meanwhile, the Eagles secured an 11th-placed finish - their highest standing since 2017/18.
Roy Hodgson's side were dominant throughout the game, but Forest's defensive resolve and threat from counter-attacks paid dividends, once again.
Morgan Gibbs-White produced a sensational assist for Forest's opener - curling a defence-splitting pass with the outside of his right boot for Taiwo Awoniyi to bamboozle Joachim Andersen and blast past Sam Johnstone shortly after the half-hour mark.
The second half started in the same vein with Palace probing and Forest countering. But Hodgson's men finally carved a worthy equaliser through the ever-dangerous Michael Olise down the right channel - finding Will Hughes to nod home.
The game summarised each team's key ingredients for success this term.
For Palace, Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze shone brightest once again - with Eze making his first appearance since being named in Gareth Southgate's squad for upcoming Euro 2024 games against Malta and North Macedonia.
Meanwhile, Forest deployed their deep, countering style, which has helped Cooper's side collect 11 points from their past six games.
The first notable chance on goal came in the 19th minute, when Olise teed up Eze in acres of space from a corner - but fired just wide.
The pair doubled up down the right channel for long periods of the game and almost combined to break the deadlock on the half-hour mark, when Eze's shot hit Jordan Ayew before Will Hughes fired wide.
Moments later, Forest went ahead after Gibbs-White produced a moment of magic - curling a sumptuous pass through the Eagles' defence for red-hot Awoniyi to make it six goals in four games.
Forest maintained their approach after the break but increasingly struggled to contain Olise and Eze, who were instrumental as the game wore on - but Gibbs-White's deliveries from dead balls also carried a constant threat for the visitors.
Palace could and, perhaps, should have claimed all three points but Forest centre-back Joe Worrall prevented no fewer than three clear chances on goal with an array of blocks and tackles in the box.
The Eagles finally earned their just rewards on the hour, however, with Hughes heading home on his 50th appearance for the club - courtesy of a deflection via Willy Boly.
Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson:
Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper:
Sky Sports' Charlotte Marsh:
Crystal Palace's campaign started with bundles of optimism. Patrick Vieira did well in his first season in charge, the squad was young and vibrant and there was hope that this might be the time for the Eagles to soar higher.
Nobody would have predicted Roy Hodgson would end up being the man to save the club's season.
The signs were there early on - Vieira's side had a modest start, winning five Premier League games - but a worrying slump in the first three months of 2023 saw the former Arsenal midfielder sacked, replaced by the man he had taken the reins from just 18 months previously.
The difference was immediate. Crystal Palace won their first game of the calendar year in Hodgson's first game back - beating Leicester 2-1 with a dramatic late goal from Jean-Philippe Mateta - winning as many games under the former England boss in two months as they did as Vieira.
The squad was always able to be competitive in the top flight, housing some of the best young talent in the league, and now they have proven it. A special mention too to Eberechi Eze for his first England call-up, having scored six goals with one assist in Hodgson's nine league games, having scored just four goals with three assists in the previous 28 Premier League matches.
It leaves Crystal Palace finishing in a respectable and, given their woes earlier in the campaign, a welcome 11th place. But the question remains - just who will lead Crystal Palace into the future?
As he may now hate people reminding him, Hodgson is 75. Talks will take place on his plans this summer and the turnaround he has bought about is nothing short of remarkable.
However, while he may steady the ship over the next year or two, Hodgson is not Crystal Palace's long-term answer. That is the conundrum that the hierarchy must continue to address as they reflect on another season in the Premier League.
Sky Sports' Adam Smith:
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis threw the kitchen sink at Forest's quest for survival last summer, bringing in 26 new recruits, which included four loan signings.
But fan favourite, Steve Cooper, had a job on his hands to gel the squad and build chemistry between players from the start, with Chelsea's dismal campaign after a record-breaking spending spree being a prime example of how extreme overhauls can, initially, have a detrimental impact on performances.
And so it proved. Forest were languishing in the relegation zone for the majority the season until the turn of the year. The club steered clear of the drop zone for three months but slipped back into danger in early April, amid rumours Cooper's job was on the line.
Marinakis took to social media and released a statement 'backing' the manager to end speculation - but it came with a caveat: "Results and performances must improve immediately". Three successive defeats followed against high-flying Aston Villa and powerhouses Liverpool and Manchester United. Cooper remained in charge.
The turnaround came with a 3-1 win over Brighton and Forest proceeded to beat Southampton, draw with Chelsea and secured survival and ended Arsenal's title hopes with a memorable 1-0 win at the City Ground.
Morgan Gibbs-White proved pivotal during the campaign, running farther than any team-mate, chipping in with five goals, eight assists and producing team-topping numbers for chances created, dribbles attempted and completed through-balls.
After securing survival against the Gunners, Marinakis posted: "We continue to write history together!" Southampton, Leeds and Leicester all sacked managers during the campaign to no avail; sticking with Cooper could well have been Forest's saving grace.
The Premier League season will kick-off on August 12 and conclude nine months later on May 19, 2024.
The start is one week later than the 2022/23 launch as the schedule returns to normal following the Covid-19 pandemic and the Qatar 2022 World Cup, which provided disruption during the previous three seasons.
However, the fixture list provides for a return of the mid-season player break which will take place between January 13-20.
Fixtures for the new Premier League season will be revealed at 9am on Thursday June 15 and you can follow the announcements on Sky Sports News and across Sky Sports' digital platforms.
