After a goalless draw at Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest settled for a point each.
Morgan Gibbs-White came closest for Forest in the first half, clipping the inside of the far post, while Jean-Philippe Mateta came close to breaking the deadlock in the second.
Roy Hodgson’s 400th Premier League game as manager was tarnished by two additional injuries to his already-depleted squad, with Jeffrey Schlupp and Jairo Riedewald forced off on either side of the half-time break.
Substitute Jesurun Rak-Sakyi impressed in his fourth appearance for the Eagles, providing some much-needed hope for the hosts, who desperately need the international break.
The hosts should have been on a high after taking all three points at Old Trafford last Saturday, but the previous seven days have seen Eberechi Eze, Joel Ward, and Cheick Doucoure join a long list of Eagles ailments that Hodgson admitted had reached a “crisis” point.
Forest made quick inroads into Palace’s final third, but the hosts answered in kind. Before an alert, Edouard initiated a broad campaign. Will Hughes intercepted a bad pass from Gibbs-White, resulting in Palace’s first corner.
Forest got their own corner, which resulted in the game’s first serious chance when Harry Toffolo brought Sam Johnstone into action, the goalkeeper diving to push away the potential opener.
After 20 minutes, Gibbs-White’s side-foot volley from Murillo’s long ball into the box beat Johnstone but grazed the inside of the keeper’s post but failed to cross the line.
Palace had barely time to exhale a sigh of relief. Schlupp was injured in midfield and was replaced by 21-year-old Rak-Sakyi.
Jordan Ayew then found himself in space at the penalty spot, shuddering as he volleyed Joachim Andersen’s delivery way over the crossbar before Palace did little to capitalize on a free kick, followed by a quick intervention by Riedewald to eliminate the threat on the counter.
Rak-Sakyi, who had previously played just nine Premier League minutes for Palace this season, was anxious to prove he deserved more with a spirited first half that saw him deliver two fine crosses into the area and have a volley from inside the six-yard box.
Matt Turner made the save, then Johnstone denied Murillo again in three minutes of extra time to keep the game scoreless at halftime.
Neither team was able to capitalize on early set-pieces to begin the second period, which saw little chances as the game approached the hour mark, when replacement Gonzalo Montiel saw a shot blocked by Marc Guehi.
Palace came agonizingly close when Tyrick Mitchell found Edouard, who found Mateta on the right edge of the area, his effort coming so close that the home fans began to applaud prematurely, but the ball rolled just wide.
It sparked something in Hodgson’s side, who piled on the pressure, first through another Rak-Sakyi shot after a wonderful move from Guehi, then a missed chance for Ayew when he nodded over the crossbar.
Palace were obliged to make another substitution just as momentum was building in their favor. It was Riedewald this time, after he was attended to by personnel and Chris Richards was sent in to replace him.
The standoff was maintained just barely as Joachim Anderson extended his leg to deny Montiel from close range, with Johnstone extending to save Nicolas Dominguez’s shot and ensure the points were split.
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