Crystal Palace were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest, who played over half the match with 10 men after Neco Williams was sent off for a goal-line handball.
The point is Palace’s third from their last nine games, leaving them dangerously close to the relegation zone.
Forest started the game strongly, taking the lead through Morgan Gibbs-White, who scored his sixth goal of the season following a scramble from a long throw.
However, the game turned just before halftime when Williams deliberately handled Jefferson Lerma’s header on the line, earning a straight red. Ismaïla Sarr converted the resulting penalty to level the score.
Despite dominating possession in the second half, Palace struggled to break down the resilient Forest side, who appeared comfortable even with a numerical disadvantage.
A frantic finale saw both teams threaten, but neither could find a winner, leaving them a point clear of the bottom three.
Sarr led the Palace attack in the absence of top scorer Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is reportedly considering a move from Selhurst Park.
Tensions between the clubs were evident off the pitch, reflecting lingering frustration from last summer when Forest replaced Palace in European competition.
Palace’s first chance came early when Ola Aina’s mistake led to a counter-attack, with Yéremy Pino testing goalkeeper Matz Sels.
Forest nearly won a penalty when Igor Jesus went down under Chris Richards’ challenge, but referee Tony Harrington allowed play to continue.
The breakthrough came moments later for Forest, as Gibbs-White controlled a chaotic penalty-area scramble and slotted home.
Palace responded with Pino threatening down the left, but a poor final pass from him wasted a good opportunity for Sarr.
Williams’ handball on the line offered Palace a lifeline, and Sarr calmly converted the penalty to equalize.
In the second half, Forest showed glimpses of attacking intent despite the red card, with Gibbs-White feeding Jesus, who shot over, and Ibrahim Sangaré firing wide to test Palace. Angus Gunn replaced the injured Sels at halftime but was largely untroubled.
Palace, despite controlling much of the ball, failed to carve out a clear chance, and it was Forest who appeared more likely to snatch a winner late on.
Dan Ndoye’s effort, however, went wide, and the match ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
