Nottingham Forest’s UCL Hopes Dim After Poor Run of Form

Shilpa Rajan May 16, 2025

Nottingham Forest’s dream of playing in the UEFA Champions League has taken a big U-turn. Nuno’s men were held to a 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. This draw moves them to sixth place in the league table.

Murillo’s equaliser saves the day

Crystal Palace have had a mixed season. The Eagles are sitting in the 12^th spot and will play the FA Cup final against Manchester City. They have a chance to win their first major cup. Forest, on the other hand, needed a win to keep their UCL hopes alive.

The match went goalless in the first half. Both teams created opportunities but managed to hit the target once in the first half. The second half turned out to be more interesting. Just around the hour mark, Mitchell was brought down in Forest’s box by Matz Sels. The home team were awarded a penalty, which was easily converted by Eberechi Eze.

Forest took just four minutes to make a comeback. Nico Williams’ cross found Murillo in the box, who flicked the ball past Dean Henderson in the Palace goal. Crystal Palace created more dangerous chances, but Forest managed to stick to a 1-1 draw.

Nottingham Forest’s recent form could cost them a UCL spot?

Nottingham Forest was flying high and already had one foot in the top five. However, their recent form has put them in a difficult situation. Three defeats and a draw in the last five matches have dropped them to sixth in the league table. Four points from a possible 15 is what could haunt the two-time European champions.

Nuno’s men will be up against relegated Leicester City in the next game. This will be followed by a trip to West Ham United. Forest hosts Chelsea in what could be a do-or-die game for both teams.

Which Premier League teams can qualify for the Champions League?

Premier League clubs were given a big boost when it was announced that five teams would be playing in the UCL next season. This has been an exciting season in English football. Some top names have failed miserably, and others have taken full advantage of that.

Liverpool are the English champions and have secured their spot. However, the race for the next four spots is still on. Arsenal are currently sitting second in the table, three points ahead of Manchester City.

The Gunners will face Liverpool and Newcastle United in the remaining three matches. They need to win at least two out of the remaining three. Manchester City are on a seven-match unbeaten streak in the league. Pep’s men have a one-point advantage over fourth and fifth-place teams. They can easily make it to the top five.

The race for the final two spots is still on. Newcastle United and Chelsea are level on points at 63. Forest are just behind them on 61 and Villa are on 60. Some of these teams will face each other before the season gets over. The race is still on with six teams fighting for the remaining four spots.