Crystal Palace 3‑1 Nottingham Forest: Lerma completes first-half turnaround

Walter Benítez kept Crystal Palace within reach before two goals late in the first half turned an early deficit into a 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest at Selhurst Park. Daichi Kamada equalised, Jefferson Lerma put Palace ahead in stoppage time and Yéremy Pino added the third to secure their first home Premier League win of the season.

RUTHLESS PALACE WIN ✅ | Crystal Palace 3-1 Nottingham Forest | Premier League Highlights

Dan Ndoye struck in the third minute, giving Forest an advantage they had opportunities to extend. The visitors dominated stretches of the opening half, but their failure to add a second left the door open for a Palace side whose goalkeeper made the difference before their finishing did.

Benítez’s standout intervention came after Morgan Gibbs-White struck the underside of the crossbar. Liam Delap had a close-range opportunity from the rebound, only for the goalkeeper to recover and prevent the ball from crossing the line.

Palace’s official account singled out that reaction save as a crucial moment. It preserved a one-goal deficit during a spell when Forest threatened to put more distance between the teams, giving the hosts a platform for the turnaround that followed.

Kamada levelled in the 41st minute, with Quinten Timber providing the assist. Palace’s official report described the equaliser as the conclusion of a fine team move, a decisive response after the visitors had enjoyed the better of much of the opening period.

The change was complete before the interval. Adam Wharton supplied the assist for Lerma’s goal in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, sending Palace into the dressing room 2-1 ahead.

Forest had led for most of the half, yet two Palace goals from the 41st minute onwards overturned that advantage. Lerma’s strike proved the winner and left the visitors chasing a match they had initially looked well placed to win.

Pino extended the lead in the 59th minute, scoring Palace’s third unanswered goal. Three different scorers had punished Forest, and the hosts now had a two-goal cushion rather than a narrow advantage to protect.

The final statistics underline why the result should not be mistaken for an afternoon of sustained Palace control. Forest had 57% possession, took 24 shots to Palace’s 13 and won eight corners against the home side’s five.

Palace nevertheless registered seven shots on target, one more than Forest’s six, despite attempting 11 fewer shots overall. Their accuracy and Benítez’s work offered the clearest explanation for a two-goal victory in a match where the visitors generated considerably more attempts.

Forest head coach Oliver Glasner did not dismiss his side’s performance because of the score. In his post-match assessment, he described their opening 45 minutes as the best he had seen from them this season and said they had created enough chances to be two or three goals ahead.

That assessment captured Forest’s frustration: their strongest spell produced only Ndoye’s opener. Palace then scored twice before half-time, making the interval score a very different picture from the one Glasner felt his team’s chances warranted.

Glasner also emphasised staying positive and recognising improvement. On his return to his former club, however, the result brought Forest a second consecutive league defeat, following their 1-0 home loss to Coventry City.

For Pierre Sage’s Palace, the outcome broke a less welcome home pattern. They had lost their first two league matches at Selhurst Park this season; this victory made their home record one win and two defeats, while extending their scoring run there to nine matches.

It was also Palace’s second league win of the campaign, following their earlier 3-2 success away at Fulham. After a goalless draw at Leeds United, they returned to scoring with three goals and a comeback that depended as much on preventing further damage as taking their own chances.

The result supplied a winner after three draws across the clubs’ previous four meetings since August 2024. Across those five encounters, Palace and Forest now have one victory apiece, with this match decided by Palace’s recovery from the early setback.

Best moments: Crystal Palace FC’s official YouTube highlights, “RUTHLESS PALACE WIN ✅ | Crystal Palace 3-1 Nottingham Forest | Premier League Highlights”, are available to revisit. The goals came from Ndoye in the third minute, Kamada in the 41st, Lerma at 45+4 and Pino in the 59th.

Palace sit 12th with seven points from six matches, two points ahead of Forest in 14th. Forest remain two points clear of the relegation places: turning promising spells into a stronger lead is the immediate lesson, while Palace have their first home victory to build on.

Questions

Who scored in Crystal Palace’s 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest?

Dan Ndoye put Nottingham Forest ahead in the third minute. Daichi Kamada equalised in the 41st minute, Jefferson Lerma put Crystal Palace ahead at 45+4, and Yéremy Pino added their third in the 59th minute.

Where does the result leave Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest?

Crystal Palace are 12th with seven points from six matches. Nottingham Forest are 14th with five points, two points clear of the relegation places.

Was this Crystal Palace’s first home league win of the season?

Yes. Palace had lost their first two home Premier League matches of the season. Their home record is now one win and two defeats.

Where can I watch the official match highlights?

Crystal Palace FC’s official highlights are available on YouTube under the title “RUTHLESS PALACE WIN ✅ | Crystal Palace 3-1 Nottingham Forest | Premier League Highlights”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6AaXaRAeJQ.