Both Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest will be looking for their second league win when they square off against each other on Sunday.
Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest have both had a disappointing start to their new Premier League campaigns, and they will be hoping the international break helps them reset things and start afresh. They will be eyeing all three points here to get their season back on track.
The home team are 15th on the table with just four points in their five league outings. Palace started the season with back-to-back defeats to Everton and Manchester City, before securing a hard-fought win over Fulham.
However, the Eagles lost 3-2 to Ipswich Town in Gameweek 4, and their last league outing was a 0-0 draw against Leeds prior to the break. While Crystal Palace have done well in cup competitions, they desperately need some momentum in the Premier League to ease the pressure on Pierre Sage.
Meanwhile, the visitors are 13th on the table with five points in their five outings. After being winless in their first three league outings (D2 L1), Nottingham Forest secured all three points against Aston Villa, before losing 1-0 to newly promoted Coventry City.
The Tricky Trees were not in the best of form prior to the international break, and a trip to Selhurst Park will come with challenges. However, a win here could help them get their campaign up and running. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Pierre Sage has received some positive news, as Anan Khalaili and Ismaila Sarr are both fit to start this fixture. However, they remain without the services of Dean Henderson (foot), Jean-Philippe Mateta (hamstring), Chadi Riad (knee), and Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf) due to injury. Meanwhile, Axel Disasi is suspended for this fixture following a red card against Ipswich Town.
Crystal Palace are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Walter Benitez starting between the sticks. Chris Richards, Honest Ahanor and Jaydee Canvot should form the back three, with the trio tasked with keeping the opposition attackers at bay.
Anan Khalaili and Tyrick Mitchell are likely to operate as wing-backs, providing width in attack while tracking back to support the defence. Quinten Timber and Adam Wharton should form the central midfield pairing, with the duo looking to win possession, protect the backline and help Palace control the tempo.
Daichi Kamada and Ismaila Sarr are expected to operate in the attacking midfield roles behind Jorgen Strand Larsen, who will lead the line for Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Benitez; Richards, Ahanor, Canvot; Khalaili, Timber, Wharton, Mitchell; Kamada, Sarr; Strand Larsen
Igor Jesus (calf) and Nikola Milenkovic (bruised bone) are both unavailable for this fixture because of injury, while Neco Williams is a doubt because of illness.
Forest are also expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Matz Sels starting between the sticks. Jair Cunha, Ousmane Diomande, and Murillo should form the central defensive unit, with the trio tasked with keeping things tight at the back.
Daniel Munoz and Neco Williams are likely to operate as wing-backs, providing support on both ends of the pitch. Xaver Schlager and James McAtee should form the central midfield pairing, with the duo looking to ensure they dominate the ball.
Dan Ndoye and Morgan Gibbs-White will be the two attacking midfielders behind Liam Delap, who will spearhead the Nottingham Forest attack vs Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Sels; Cunha, Diomande, Murillo; Munoz, Schlager, McAtee, Williams; Ndoye, Gibbs-White; Delap
The 26-year-old has been Nottingham Forest’s most influential player in recent seasons. While the Tricky Trees have not had the best of starts to the season, Gibbs-White has surely done his bit with three goal contributions in his five Premier League outings. He will be eager to help his team return to winning ways, and his overall performances suggest he could have a massive say on the end result of this fixture.
Crystal Palace will be eager to make the most of their home advantage as they look to get their Premier League campaign back on track. However, their defensive struggles at Selhurst Park remain a concern, especially with Dean Henderson unavailable.
Nottingham Forest have also struggled for consistency this season, but their impressive record at Selhurst Park should give them confidence heading into this fixture. Morgan Gibbs-White could prove decisive with his creativity in the final third, while Dan Ndoye and Liam Delap will look to capitalise on any defensive lapses.
Both sides have shown enough going forward to find the net, but their defensive issues could prevent either team from securing a win. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-2 draw in this fixture.
