In a nail-biting and tension-charged Premier League showdown dubbed ‘El Casico,’ Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest played out a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park on Sunday, 24 August 2025, a result that reflected not only on-field parity but also the simmering off-pitch hostilities that have engulfed the two clubs.
From the outset, tempers and animus were high. Palace supporters, still smarting from UEFA’s controversial decision to strip them of a Europa League place in favour of Forest—owing to multi-club ownership breaches—made their displeasure unmistakably clear.
Banners and chants targeting Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis surfaced early in the contest, heightening the atmosphere at Selhurst Park.
On the pitch, it was Palace who struck first. In the 37th minute, Ismaïla Sarr deftly capitalised on a defensive lapse by Forest. The ball broke to Adam Wharton, whose flick found Daniel Muñoz; his pinpoint cross was met by Sarr, whose composed finish inside the penalty area sent the home crowd into raptures.
Palace might have doubled their advantage before half-time. Will Hughes unleashed a venomous drive that whistled wide, and Marc Guéhi’s glancing header rattled the post in stoppage time. These near-misses would soon loom large in the match’s narrative.
The second half opened with Forest intent on turning the tide. Their patience paid dividends in the 57th minute when Dan Ndoye’s sweeping crossfield pass found Callum Hudson-Odoi. With power and precision, he barged past Tyrick Mitchell and tucked a clinically driven finish beyond Dean Henderson to restore parity.
Late drama ensued. Forest’s Igor Jesus, a recent summer signing, came agonisingly close to snatching all three points, only to smash his shot against the woodwork in stoppage time. Moments later, Palace’s appeals for a penalty went unanswered after VAR flagged Sarr offside in the build-up.
After the full-time whistle, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner reflected on the draw, pointing to the congested schedule as a factor in his team’s fatigue. He expressed pride in his squad’s resilience, stating that, given the four tough matches in two weeks—against Liverpool, Chelsea, and Forest—the result was fair.
Forest manager Nuno Espírito Santo’s post-match remarks struck a balance between realism and resolve.
Acknowledging the difficulty of playing at Selhurst and the need for reinforcements, he emphasised the squad’s collective spirit and expressed hope that forthcoming talks with club owner Marinakis and sporting director Edu would foster alignment and clarity.
Indeed, talk of turmoil off the pitch loomed large. Rumours of a deteriorating relationship between Nuno and Marinakis had intensified, prompting speculation about the manager’s future.
But Nuno was unequivocal post-match: such rumours were “absurd,” and he reaffirmed his commitment to the club—though he stopped short of guaranteeing his tenure beyond the transfer window, suggesting that meaningful dialogue with the hierarchy was essential.
The fallout from UEFA’s multi-club ownership ruling continues to cast a long shadow. Palace’s relegation to the Conference League following their failed appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport triggered uproar among fans and helped stoke the rivalry anew.
Despite the draw, Nottingham Forest leave Selhurst Park with the upper hand in recent history—a Premier League fixture without a Forest win for Palace since 2003 remained intact.