Crystal Palace Spoils Oliver Glasner's Return With 3-1 Comeback Over Nottingham Forest

When Oliver Glasner guided Crystal Palace to a trio of trophies last season, Selhurst Park was a fortress built on early dominance. On Sunday, the Austrian manager returned to South London wearing Nottingham Forest colors, and while the early dominance belonged to his new club, the fortress held firm for his successor.[2]

Crystal Palace erased a third-minute deficit to secure a 3-1 victory, handing Pierre Sage his first home Premier League win. The visitors controlled the opening half-hour, threatening to spoil the afternoon for a Palace side that initially looked lost.[2][4]

Forest struck almost immediately when Dan Ndoye capitalized on a quick counterattack, firing a left-footed shot past Walter Benítez in the third minute. "Palace were all over the shop, Pierre Sage headed down the dumper," noted The Guardian's live coverage of the frantic opening exchanges.[1][2]

The momentum shifted dramatically just before the interval as Palace's attacking transitions finally clicked. Daichi Kamada leveled the match in the 41st minute, slotting home his first Premier League goal from inside the penalty area.[2][3]

Three minutes after the equalizer, Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels produced a brilliant save to deny Tyrick Mitchell's left-footed strike from outside the box. The reprieve was brief, as the ensuing set piece punished the visitors.[1][6]

From the resulting Adam Wharton corner, Jefferson Lerma bundled a header into the center of the net four minutes into stoppage time. The goal sent Palace into the dressing room with an improbable 2-1 lead and completely altered the tactical landscape.[1][2]

Palace cemented their advantage in the 59th minute through Yéremy Pino, exposing Forest's defensive gaps. Sels managed to parry an initial effort from Jørgen Strand Larsen, but Pino pounced on the rebound to make it 3-1, surviving a brief VAR check.[1][4]

Desperate to salvage a result, Glasner turned to his bench, bringing on Ibrahim Sangaré and Arnaud Kalimuendo to inject pace into the Forest attack. Benítez stood tall, parrying a dangerous Chris Wood header in the 80th minute to preserve the two-goal cushion.[1][6]

The result provides a crucial lift for Sage following a turbulent summer transition. Glasner, who departed Palace amid the legal fallout of their demotion to the Conference League, received a largely warm reception from the home supporters before the match, but left empty-handed.[2][3]