Eberechi Eze expressed confidence in Crystal Palace’s ability to handle Nottingham Forest ahead of Monday night’s 1-1 draw, and remained upbeat after the match, praising the team’s overall performance in a high-tempo encounter at the City Ground.
Eze, who is of Nigerian descent, gave the Eagles the lead in the 60th minute after calmly dispatching a penalty, marking his tenth goal of the campaign in all competitions.
It was a moment of composure in an otherwise fiercely contested fixture, with both sides pushing for vital points in the final weeks of the Premier League season.
But Forest responded quickly. Just four minutes after Eze’s opener, defender Murillo was in the right place to deflect a powerful strike from Neco Williams beyond goalkeeper Dean Henderson, restoring parity for the home side.
The goal shifted the momentum briefly, though Palace continued to push forward in search of a winner.
Speaking after the match, Eze praised the team’s reaction to a demanding recent schedule and remained optimistic despite the missed opportunity to secure all three points.
“I think we had quite a few chances at the end. I thought we were going to take it at the end, but I think a point, we’ll take it,” Eze told Sky Sports. “We’re positive, we know we put in a good performance today.”
He also noted the team’s strong return to form following a break and the emotional high of last weekend’s dramatic win.
“We had quite a bit of time off, but I think the boys were top today to come back. It was a high emotion game a week ago, so to put in a performance like this today was important for us.”
