Forest are set up in a 4-5-1 (initially a 4-4-2, with one forward dropping into midfield when they settle into a mid-block). They’re blocking the channels well and flooding central areas with numbers. We can’t stretch them horizontally because we don’t have natural wingers on the pitch, and relying on the full-backs (Nunes and O’Reilly) to hold width isn't helping. Every time the ball is lost, Forest are primed to break in transitions, something we’ve already seen a couple of times. Foden and Cherki have no clean access to the half-spaces, and their presence between the lines is effectively shut down. It’s turned into a very physical, duelling-heavy game. Get Savinho on. Could help with opening the game upfront.

We’re so lucky to have Cherki, because he’s the one almost controlling everything. Palace want us to dance to their beat: 1) turn the game into a transition-heavy contest (where we struggle) and 2) make it more physical, another area where they can bully us, especially centrally. But Cherki is controlling the tempo, recycling possession, searching for answers (creating chances) and bringing calm to the game. I’m so proud of this baller.