Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest lock horns at Selhurst Park in a 2:00pm BST Premier League kick-off on Sunday, with both sides desperately seeking a turning point after slow starts to the 2026/27 season.

A reunion with a familiar face

The match carries an intriguing subplot: Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner returns to Selhurst Park for the first time since leaving Crystal Palace, the club he guided through the previous campaign. The reception he receives from the home faithful remains to be seen.

Both clubs arrive with just one Premier League win each from their opening five fixtures — a shared frustration that should produce a competitive, if cautious, encounter in south London.

Crystal Palace's difficult beginning

The Eagles have had to rebuild once again after another summer of departures. Defender Maxence Lacroix departed for Chelsea, while Daniel Munoz crossed South London to join Sunday's visitors, Nottingham Forest. Despite those losses, Crystal Palace did manage to hold on to midfielder Adam Wharton, regarded as a future England international.

Their only league victory so far came against Fulham in early September. They did, however, advance in the Carabao Cup with a convincing 3-0 win over Middlesbrough, and they also have the UEFA Europa League to contend with this term — adding fixture congestion to an already demanding schedule.

Forest's mixed form

Nottingham Forest have shown glimpses of quality under Glasner despite their modest return. A 2-2 draw with Liverpool before the international break was encouraging, though a defeat to newly promoted Coventry City immediately before this match will have tempered expectations.

Forest do travel to Selhurst Park without new injury concerns, although Nikola Milenkovic and Nicolo Savona remain sidelined.

Prediction

With both sides still searching for consistency, a tight, attritional contest is the most likely outcome. FourFourTwo predicts a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park — a result that would satisfy neither manager but would reflect exactly where each club stands at this early stage of the season.