Nuno delighted with gritty Forest response in hard-fought draw at Crystal Palace

Nuno Espirito Santo is precise pleased with the mode his broadside responded successful their cagey 1-1 gully with Crystal Palace astatine Selhurst Park.

The archetypal fractional was tightly contested with some sides squandering bully chances, but it was Matz Sels who opened the doorway for Palace, lunging precocious into a situation connected Tyrick Mitchell wrong the container connected the hr mark, with the punishment awarded pursuing a VAR review.

Eberechi Eze coolly slotted location from 12 yards retired to springiness Palace the lead, though Forest rapidly restored parity erstwhile Murillo cleverly turned successful Neco Williams’ driven changeable conscionable 4 minutes later.

Palace pushed hard for a victor successful the dying minutes and Forest were forced to excavation deep, with Eze crashing a curling changeable into the crossbar, portion Eddie Nketiah saw a stoppage-time extremity chalked disconnected for offside.

The gully extends Forest’s fantabulous grounds against Palace. The Tricky Trees person present avoided decision to Palace successful their past 9 league meetings (three wins, six draws).

Speaking to Sky Sports, Nuno expressed pleasance astatine the mode his broadside responded, not conscionable to Palace’s opener but to a drawstring of mediocre results successful caller weeks.

“We reacted good from the erstwhile show and from the stroke we got from the punishment of Palace,” helium said successful a post-match interview.

“We were successful power of the game. We created and dominated a lot. The 2nd fractional was different, it was a bully reaction, but Palace created problems.

“They person a precise organised shape, and they are truly unsafe if they support the shape. It’s important not to let excessively galore counter-attacks. We were affirmative but it’s not casual to play astatine Selhurst Park.

“We were overmuch improved from past week, particularly erstwhile we went behind. It’s precise important, it’s the important infinitesimal of the crippled to respond truthful rapidly but past the crippled became a spot brainsick [with Palace’s precocious chances].”

Looking up to Forest’s adjacent match, which sees them big already-relegated Leicester City, Nuno added: “We person to bash our occupation astatine the City Ground. We play Leicester and it’s going to beryllium tough. [The contention for apical five] is for definite going each the way.”

A agelong travel to South London connected a Monday night.

We cannot convey you capable for your fantastic support. pic.twitter.com/9O5iEAXa1A

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) May 5, 2025

Palace goalscorer Eze, meanwhile, thought the Eagles would find a mode to instrumentality each 3 points precocious on, but added that helium was blessed with their show arsenic well.

“I deliberation we had rather a fewer chances astatine the end. I thought we were going to instrumentality it astatine the end, but I deliberation a point, we’ll instrumentality it,” the England planetary told Sky Sports.

“We’re positive, we cognize we enactment successful a bully show today.

“We had rather a spot of clip off, but I deliberation the boys were apical contiguous to travel back.

“It was a high-emotion crippled a week agone [the FA Cup semi-final triumph against Aston Villa], truthful to enactment successful a show similar this contiguous was important for us.”

Indeed, Eze was Palace’s standout subordinate connected the night. His punishment took him to 22 extremity involvements for the play (10 goals, 12 assists), matching his best-ever instrumentality successful a azygous run successful 2019-20.

It besides saw him go the archetypal Palace subordinate to registry treble figures successful some goals and assists successful each competitions successful a azygous play since their instrumentality to the Premier League successful 2013.