Forest out of bottom three after draw against Palace
Nottingham Forest fought back to secure a point against Crystal Palace at the City Ground and move out of the Premier League relegation zone.
The hosts fell behind in their first match since being docked four points for financial rules breaches, with Jean-Philippe Mateta slotting home Eberechi Eze's perfect lay-off.
But Chris Wood equalised just after the hour mark, nodding Morgan Gibbs-White's floated pass over oncoming Palace keeper Dean Henderson for his 10th goal of the season.
Nuno Espirito Santo's Forest had dropped into the bottom three after their points deduction, but this point moved them up to 17th - above Luton on goal difference.
Forest, who are winless since beating West Ham on 17 February, nearly fell to a fourth defeat in five leagues games late on but Daniel Munoz's 90th-minute header hit the post.
England winger Eze proved the danger man for Oliver Glasner's Palace throughout, forcing Forest keeper Matz Sels into two outstanding saves when one-on-one either side of half-time.
But the visitors failed to make the most of their chances and could not secure a fourth away win of the season, as Forest remained unbeaten against Palace in the Premier League.
Display of defiance from Forest
Forest came out fighting on the field after the deduction which dropped them into the relegation zone - and the home fans followed suit.
A banner in the Trent End before kick-off displayed the words "we shall fight and we shall overcome".
Forest have already announced they will appeal against their punishment, but it is on the pitch where they need to start winning points if they want to distance themselves from the bottom three.
Battling back to draw on Saturday is a start and allowed them to gain ground on two relegation rivals, as Luton succumbed to a late loss at Tottenham and Everton were beaten by Bournemouth after Seamus Coleman's injury-time own goal.
Eze playing himself into Euros contention?
Palace talisman Eze was named in Gareth Southgate's provisional England squad for the Covid-delayed Euros in 2021, but he ruptured his Achilles tendon the same day he was given the news and was ruled out for 12 months.
Three years on, the midfielder looks to be returning to the kind of form which could see him in contention for the Euros once again.
An injury-disrupted campaign may have contributed to him missing out on Southgate's latest squad, but Eze's talent was on full display here and it was only some superb keeping from Sels which kept him off the score-sheet.
There are nine games left in Palace's campaign, and if the 25-year-old stays fit and continues to spark the Eagles' attack he will give Southgate plenty to ponder.
Player of the match
A WhartonAdam Wharton
Nottingham Forest
Squad number20Player nameReyna
Average rating6.61
Squad number15Player nameToffolo
Average rating6.55
Squad number21Player nameElanga
Average rating6.11
Squad number7Player nameN Williams
Average rating5.90
Squad number11Player nameWood
Average rating5.89
Squad number14Player nameHudson-Odoi
Average rating5.74
Squad number10Player nameGibbs-White
Average rating5.47
Squad number26Player nameSels
Average rating5.45
Squad number40Player nameMurillo
Average rating5.30
Squad number18Player nameFelipe
Average rating5.08
Squad number43Player nameAina
Average rating5.00
Squad number22Player nameYates
Average rating4.87
Squad number27Player nameOrigi
Average rating4.77
Squad number6Player nameSangaré
Average rating4.36
Crystal Palace
Squad number20Player nameA Wharton
Average rating7.45
Squad number10Player nameEze
Average rating7.41
Squad number14Player nameMateta
Average rating6.98
Squad number12Player nameMuñoz
Average rating6.82
Squad number16Player nameAndersen
Average rating6.76
Squad number8Player nameLerma
Average rating6.73
Squad number3Player nameMitchell
Average rating6.73
Squad number26Player nameRichards
Average rating6.61
Squad number9Player nameJ Ayew
Average rating6.48
Squad number30Player nameHenderson
Average rating6.45
Squad number2Player nameWard
Average rating6.44
Squad number15Player nameSchlupp
Average rating5.72
Squad number17Player nameClyne
Average rating5.21
Squad number19Player nameHughes
Average rating5.21
Line-ups
Nottm Forest
Formation 4-2-3-1
26Sels
7N Williams18Felipe40Santiago Costa dos Santos43Aina
22Yates6Sangaré
27Origi10Gibbs-White14Hudson-Odoi
11Wood
- 26Sels
- 7N Williams
- 18FelipeBooked at 49mins
- 40Santiago Costa dos Santos
- 43AinaSubstituted forToffoloat 84'minutes
- 22Yates
- 6SangaréSubstituted forElangaat 45'minutes
- 27OrigiSubstituted forReynaat 60'minutes
- 10Gibbs-White
- 14Hudson-Odoi
- 11Wood
Substitutes
- 1Turner
- 15Toffolo
- 16Domínguez
- 20Reyna
- 21Elanga
- 28Danilo
- 29Montiel
- 32Omobamidele
- 37Duarte Ribeiro
Crystal Palace
Formation 3-4-2-1
30Henderson
2Ward16Andersen26Richards
12Muñoz20A Wharton8Lerma3Mitchell
9J Ayew10Eze
14Mateta
- 30Henderson
- 2Ward
- 16Andersen
- 26Richards
- 12Muñoz
- 20A WhartonSubstituted forHughesat 80'minutes
- 8Lerma
- 3MitchellSubstituted forClyneat 90+4'minutes
- 9J AyewSubstituted forSchluppat 66'minutesBooked at 70mins
- 10Eze
- 14Mateta
Substitutes
- 5Tomkins
- 15Schlupp
- 17Clyne
- 19Hughes
- 29Ahamada
- 31Matthews
- 52Ozoh
- 55Umeh-Chibueze
- 61Mathurin
Match Stats
Live Text
Match ends, Nottingham Forest 1, Crystal Palace 1.