As Neco Williams trudged off the City Ground pitch, shielding his face with his hands in an effort to hide his disappointment, Nikola Milenkovic and Elliot Anderson both made a point of giving him a consoling pat on the shoulders.
They, along with the rest of the remaining 10 Nottingham Forest players, then further demonstrated that sense of togetherness by holding out for a credible draw.
To call it comfortable would be incorrect: this was a result born out of pure effort and determination, after Williams had been sent off in first-half stoppage time for handling Jefferson Lerma’s goalbound header on the line.
But there are some points that just feel more precious than most. That was definitely the case for Forest at the City Ground, as they produced a performance and a result that, in the circumstances, told a significant story about the character of this side and the tactical acumen of their manager.
It was a story that can be told in a handful of key numbers.
Forest played for more than 45 minutes with a numerical disadvantage to their opponents, who equalised from the penalty spot as Williams’ instinctive error was punished twice over. But their performance with 10 men was so composed, so impressively focused, that they ensured Palace did not have a single shot on target after the break, despite their numerical advantage.
Goalkeeper Angus Gunn — introduced for his debut off the bench at half-time when Matz Sels had to be withdrawn due to a tight groin — did not have a meaningful save to make.
Despite having 74 per cent possession in the second half, Palace still had fewer shots (4 vs 7) and fewer touches in the opposition box (7 vs 9) than Forest.
Stefan Ortega, who was watching from the stands after completing a move from Manchester City, might get a Forest debut sooner than he might have expected, when Forest face Leeds on Friday evening, if Sels does not recover. But the German goalkeeper will have been reassured by the performance of the Forest defence, as they battled hard to ensure Gunn, the Scotland international, had an unexpectedly quiet afternoon.
Forest actually had a higher xG (0.30) than their relegation rivals (0.22) in the second half. Occasionally, they even looked the more likely to win.
Forest switched to a 4-3-2 formation during the break, with Morgan Gibbs-White often the most advanced forward, firstly alongside Igor Jesus and later Dan Ndoye, after he had been introduced to add more pace in the final third.
Gibbs-White had given Forest the lead with an instinctive moment of his own, lashing the ball into the corner of the net after the Palace defence had failed to clear a long throw-in from Ola Aina. Dyche and his coaching staff have spoken to Gibbs-White in recent weeks about taking on a more advanced role and he did that to good effect, both before and after the sending off.
Morgan Gibbs-White has been encouraged to get further forward (David Rogers/Getty Images)
Forest’s front two pressed well, with substitute Ryan Yates, Ibrahim Sangare and Anderson matching their work rate in midfield, where Forest opted to allow Palace to have possession in wide areas, believing — correctly as it turned out — that their back four could cope with any balls the London club delivered into the box.
“Shape and distances were the key thing. I was encouraging them to mark areas, not mark men. We did that well. You have to shuffle, you have to slide and you have to be diligent to everything,” said Sean Dyche in his post-match press conference.
“You have to stay, re-press and recover. They did that. It is a good way of working when you have 10 v 11. The only change was to put the ball at risk in wide areas. We knew that would leave us with a threat. It was not an easy balance. If they are allowed to get too many crosses in, you can lose the game.
“I felt it was better to go with 4-3-2, because it gave us a chance to counter. We wanted to work inside of their unit and defend from inside to outside. You still have to deliver a defensive performance and our tactical understanding of the defensive performance was excellent.”
Gibbs-White revealed that Dyche had underlined the significance of unity during the interval. “The gaffer said we have to stick together, run together and work as a team. To stay defensive and then go for the counter attack. We did that perfectly,” he told Sky Sports.
Williams has started all 24 of Forest’s Premier League games. He has been one of the most consistent and reliable performers in the side. He can be forgiven for a rare mistake. It was one he apologised for to his team-mates at half time and again, after the final whistle, via social media.
I take full responsibility for my sending off today and want to apologise to my team mates and you fans. The lads showed determination and fight out there to get the point but we wanted more❤️ Proud of this team. pic.twitter.com/VzSaO60nMW
— Neco Williams (@necowilliams) February 1, 2026
Aina’s return to the side at right-back in recent weeks, following injury, has ensured Forest were able to return to the same back four — with Milenkovic and Murillo in the centre — that had helped Forest to keep 13 clean sheets last season.
It is no fluke that they have conceded only two goals in their last four league games, a run of fixtures in which they have collected eight points.
They will miss Williams at Elland Road on Friday, where he will be suspended — and where Dyche will have to find a solution in the left-back role. Murillo did an impressive job there in the second half. But it is a position, along with central midfield, where Forest want to strengthen before Monday’s deadline.
As they head into two further games against sides at the wrong end of the table — after the Leeds game, Wolves visit the City Ground on February 11 — it feels like an opportunity.
If Dyche’s side can play with the same gritty resolve in those games, they are capable of extending the six-point gap between them and the bottom three — and specifically West Ham — that this hard-earned result gave them.