Crystal Palace 1-1 Forest: Murillo nets crucial equaliser in UCL race

Nottingham Forest claimed a potentially valuable point for their Champions League-Hoop when they pulled 1-1 with Crystal Palace on Monday.

Daniel Munoz and Anthony Elanga saw good chances beg in the first half in Selhurst Park, but it was in the second half that the game really came to life.

Worball -goalkeeper Matz Sels was punished for a failure on Tyrick Mitchell in the box after a VAR review.

Ebereechi eze converted the resulting spot kick to put FA Cup finalists in the hour ahead.

But Murillo recovered parity with a smart film from the low ride of Neco Williams four minutes later.

After having seen colleague Champions League opportunities for Manchester City, Chelsea and Aston Villa at the weekend, Forest was forced to hold on while Palace ran the pressure to find a late winner.

Eze sent a curly shot that was late from the bar before Eddie Nketiah saw a goal not allowed for offside for a long period of stopping time.

The draw leaves Bos in sixth place, two points of the top five with three more games, although they have a great chance of getting back on track when they take on the relegated Leicester City the next time out.

It ends at the level in South London. pic.twitter.com/4ylm8uin6v

– Nottingham Forest (@nffc) 5 May 2025

Data Debrief: Excellent Eze seems clear

Monday's meeting was a Cagey affair in which Palace's Winless Run against Forest Stretch to Nine League matches (six drawings, three defeats), with four of the last five meetings ending.

Despite ending with a dominant expected goals from 2.56 xg to Forest's 0.71, the hosts could not find a decisive second, although it was not due to a lack of trying, especially of Eze.

The playmaker was again a striking one. His penalty brought him to 22 target statements this season (10 goals, 12 assists), which was the same as his best return to a single campaign of the 2019-20 season.

He also became the first palace player since their return to the Premier League in 2013 to register double digits in both goals and assists in all competitions in one season.

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