After a long and thrilling campaign, the Premier League season is nearing its end.
The champions have been crowned, and the three teams relegated to the EFL Championship have been decided.
But the excitement of the English Premier League is not over yet.
The race for the top four is still on—like a high-stakes game of musical chairs—as four more teams battle to join champions Liverpool in next seasons UEFA Champions League.
Only seven points separate second-place Arsenal and seventh-place Aston Villa!
With just three matchdays left, the battle for European spots is heating up most dramatically.
Monday’s clash between Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest was a pivotal moment in this heated race.
Forest dropped two crucial points, leaving them sixth in the Premier League table with 61 points—just two behind Chelsea, who now sit fifth with 63 points and hold the final Champions League qualification spot.
It was a frustrating night at Selhurst Park for Nuno Espírito Santo, especially in attack, as they mustered just 0.82 xG.
They just scored a goal by coincidence from the second wave of a corner, which confirms the problem.
Some believe that defending is just about basic principles—man-to-man marking, zonal marking, and so on.
However, the reality is far more nuanced.
A coach must prepare players by answering key tactical questions, like:
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If my assigned opponent drifts into a certain area, do I follow him or hold my position?
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Do I track his run until a teammate takes over? If so, at what point?
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How does this coordination work seamlessly within the team’s defensive structure?
These details transform simple theory into an organised, fluid defensive system.
In this tactical analysis, we’ll examine the Oliver Glasner defensive tactics—specifically, their mid- and low-block strategies—used to neutralise Nottingham Forest.
Crystal Palace Vs Nottingham Forest Lineups
Crystal Palace used the 5-4-1 formation.
GK: Dean Henderson
RWB: Daniel Muñoz, RCB: Chris Richards, CB: Maxence Lacroix, LCB: Marc Guéhi and LWB: Tyrick Mitchell
RW: Ismaïla Sarr, RCM: Adam Wharton, LCM: Daichi Kamada and LW: Eberechi Eze
CF: Jean-Philippe Mateta
Nottingham Forest used a 4-2-3-1 formation.
GK: Matz Sels
RB: Ola Aina, RCB: Nikola Milenković, LCB: Murillo and LB: Neco Williams
RCM: Ibrahim Sangaré and LCM: Elliot Anderson
RW: Nicolás Domínguez, CAM: Morgan Gibbs-White and LW: Anthony Elanga
CF: Chris Wood
Crystal Palace Defensive Tactics Vs Nottingham Forest
In the beginning, Crystal Palaces defensive mid- and low-block follows these general key principles:
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Closing depth forcing attacks to the flanks
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