Jamie Carragher makes Champions League ‘guarantee’ to Nottingham Forest fans after Crystal Palace draw

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Nottingham Forest’s winless run continued against Crystal Palace last night, but Jamie Carragher has insisted there’s still room for optimism for fans.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side failed to get the job done at Selhurst Park, having to rescue a point in the second half after Eberechi Eze’s opener.

As well as dropping vital points, Murillo’s injury will also be a huge cause for concern for the City Ground outfit.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
3	Man CityManchester City	35	19	7	9	67	43	24	64
4	NewcastleNewcastle	35	19	6	10	66	45	21	63
5	ChelseaChelsea	35	18	9	8	62	41	21	63
6	Nottm ForestNottingham Forest	35	18	7	10	54	42	12	61
7	Aston VillaAston Villa	35	17	9	9	55	49	6	60
8	B’mouthBournemouth	35	14	11	10	55	42	13	53

The draw means Forest now sit in sixth with three games to go, leaving their Champions League hopes hanging in the balance.

Jamie Carragher, though, is still confident about Forest’s chances due to one key factor.

• READ MORE: Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner explains exactly why Nottingham Forest are so difficult to play against

Jamie Carragher makes Champions League prediction

Given their poor run of form, many are doubting the City Ground side’s top-five hopes, with Alan Shearer claiming Forest will miss out on Champions League football come the end of the season.

Despite Shearer’s doubts, though, it seems like Carragher is more optimistic about Forest’s chances, highlighting this weekend’s upcoming fixtures as a key moment in the European race.

“Crystal Palace is a tough place to go. We know throughout this season that Nottingham Forest have gone away in big games and got the result, so in some ways it may feel like a disappointment.

“We analysed them (Forest) against Everton, and Everton dominated them a few weeks ago, but it was 0-0 and they conceded late on – those points could be vital.

“Now he’s (Nuno) right in saying that Crystal Palace looked like the team that were going to win it. This point could be really important considering what’s happening next weekend.

“They’ve got Leicester at home, a game they should win. Newcastle and Chelsea play each other. If that game is a draw, they can go level on points with both of them. If one loses the game, they can go above them as well.

“So I think next weekend is really important, not just for Nottingham Forest but for everyone, because there are teams like Manchester City and Forest that have easier fixtures on paper that you would say are really good fixtures in Leicester and Southampton. Whereas the rest of the teams have really tough games.

“Arsenal away at Liverpool, Newcastle play Chelsea and Aston Villa away at Bournemouth is not an easy game. There will be points dropped in the Champions League positions dropped no doubt about it.

“Tonight may not feel like the greatest result in the world as a Forest fan but if they can win next week – there’s a guarantee that teams will drop points.”

Stats predict Forest’s Champions League chances

Carragher’s claims will no doubt give Forest fans some much-needed hope, but they will also recognise the huge challenge at hand.

That is because, following their latest result, Espirito Santo’s men are now predicted to finish outside of the Champions League places.

According to Opta, Forest are now tipped to finish two points behind Chelsea and Newcastle, meaning they would have to settle for Europa League football.

Forest are still within a fighting chance, but it could soon be out of their own hands if they can’t rectify their patchy run of form.