Ivorian forward, Wilfried Zaha missed a penalty as Crystal Palace succumbed to a 1-0 Premier League defeat against Taiwo Awoniyi’s Nottingham Forest on Saturday
In the sixth minute, Zaha almost broke the deadlock after causing issues for Forest’s defence. The striker got some room to shoot after a quick corner, but Dean Henderson was there to save it.
In the 29th minute, the Eagles had another chance to score when Eberechi Eze dribbled by his opponents thanks to some deft touches, but his powerful shot went off target.
Zaha missed a penalty for the visitors in the 40th minute. Joseph Worrall tripped up the forward, and the VAR agreed with the penalty call. Though Dean Henderson dived the wrong way, Zaha was unable to score as his terrible attempt from the spot went wide.
In the 52nd minute, Jordan Ayew led Palace on an assault, and after cutting in from the right, the Ghanaian fired his shot high and wide, losing another golden opportunity.
The Eagles were penalised for their profligacy when Morgan Gibbs-White scored for the opposition in the 56th minute. While Vicente Guiata blocked Johnson’s first low cross, Gibbs-White was there to score on the next rebound. After a lengthy VAR review, the goal that had been disallowed for an apparent offside was given.
Meanwhile, Taiwo Awoniyi was an unused substitute for Forest, as fellow Nigerian international and Forest teammate Emmanuel Dennis missed out on the squad completely. The result lifts Forest to the 18th spot, while Zaha’s Eagles lament missed opportunities.
Zaha has now missed the goal on three of his last four penalties in the Premier League, including both of his most recent attempts. Overall, Crystal Palace has failed to score on 14 of 62 penalties in the Premier League since 2013-14.
