In a thrilling encounter at The City Ground, Nottingham Forest produced a spectacular second-half performance to overturn a deficit and secure a vital 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace, a result that propels them out of the Premier League's bottom three.
The match began in the worst possible fashion for Nuno Espirito Santo's side. Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 11th minute after a VAR review deemed that Forest's young defender, Andrew Omobamidele, had fouled Eberechi Eze.
Forest struggled to find their rhythm in the first period, leaving the home crowd anxious. The momentum of the game, however, shifted dramatically after the half-time break.
Hudson-Odoi Sparks the Forest Fightback
The equaliser arrived just before the hour mark and was a moment of pure individual brilliance. Callum Hudson-Odoi, cutting in from the left flank onto his favoured right foot, unleashed a stunning, curling effort that soared past Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson and nestled into the far corner of the net.
This goal ignited the home side and the crowd. Just seven minutes later, Forest completed the turnaround. Morgan Gibbs-White was the architect, driving towards the byline before cutting the ball back for the prolific Chris Wood, who made no mistake from close range to send The City Ground into delirium.
Wood Seals the Points
Any hopes of a Palace comeback were extinguished in the 84th minute. Again, Hudson-Odoi was central to the action, driving at the heart of a retreating Eagles defence before sliding a perfect pass through to Wood. The New Zealand striker displayed immense composure to slot the ball home and secure all three points for the Reds.
The victory sees Nottingham Forest climb to 17th place in the table, leapfrogging Luton Town and providing a massive boost to their survival hopes. For Crystal Palace, it was a familiar tale of a promising start undone by a defensive collapse, leaving manager Oliver Glasner with much to ponder.
