Forest's start raises questions - but belief in Glasner remains

There is also confidence internally Forest are still on the right track under Glasner, who has impressed with his methods and personality.

He was brought in to take Forest to the next level after lifting the FA Cup, Community Shield and Conference League with Palace.

Glasner is impatient to repeat that success, detailing how owner Evangelos Marinakis is the only person he has met with more ambition than him.

The 52-year-old has also said he is not a magician and has already spoken to Marinakis about previous slow starts.

He won just one of his opening six games at Palace after replacing Roy Hodgson in February 2024 and then did not win any of his first eight games in his first full season with the Eagles in 2024-25.

That campaign finished with Palace beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final to end a 119-year wait for a first major trophy.

Glasner has reiterated the need for a strategy and consistency at Forest and it is just over a year since Ange Postecoglou's 39-day reign ended after six defeats and no wins in eight games.

Sean Dyche lasted a little over 100 days and while Vitor Pereira took Forest to the Europa League semi-finals and achieved top-flight survival, he was sacked just two minutes before a termination clause expired in June.

Glasner's consistency is starting to become clear with a preferred line-up crystalising with Neco Williams, Matz Sels, Dan Ndoye, Murillo and James McAtee starting every league game. Morgan Gibbs-White would have done so on Sunday too but for a muscle injury.

Club captain Ryan Yates is yet to play a minute, Ibrahim Sangare has managed just one start - despite signing a new three-year contract in the summer - while Callum Hudson-Odoi has had his playing time limited and Ola Aina has lost his place to new wing-back Daniel Munoz.

Given the results, certainly at home, some will be forgiven for believing they deserve more minutes and the players are aware of the growing expectation and pressure.

"We have a good manager and I think we are still getting his ideas," said defender Murillo following the 1-0 defeat by Arsenal.

"We changed everything in our system this season. It is difficult but after three or four months we keep improving and I think we are close to reaching our best.

"Now we are building our confidence, I think. We have a very good team, experienced players as well. Now we keep going because we know how tough the Premier League is."

Forest are yet to score in the Premier League at the City Ground this season.

They have netted just eight times in the league at home in 2026 so their struggles in front of their own fans are not new.

They were masked by the Europa League victories against Ferencvaros, Porto and Aston Villa but, in the league, they have won just two of 17 home games since November.

Of those eight goals, four were scored against a weak Burnley side in April and they have now gone eight hours and 26 minutes without netting at home.

Overall this season, Forest have scored five times but have a -6.20 xG, which is the worst in the division.

They have had the third-highest number of shots in the Premier League with 120, only behind Manchester United (138) and free-scoring Brighton (125), but only 25 have been on target.

Against the Gunners, they had 14 shots but only two on target and Rory Delap's miss against Palace, Walter Benitez saving his close-range blast, summed up Forest's lack of cutting edge.

It meant Forest have a conversion rate of just 4.17% - the lowest in the division after Spurs rose to 6.06% following Monday's win over Coventry.

"Every team in the Premier League has the quality to come back into a game to score a goal," said Glasner.

"When you play the champions, you don't have seven, eight or nine moments like we had at Palace. You have two or three or four, and if you don't take it, you have always the chance to lose the game."

That view followed spending £50m on striker Delap this summer, who earned praise from Glasner against Arsenal and was also denied by Ezri Konsa's fine block in injury time.

It is clear the intention is there and the Austrian has no desire to dwell on the past.

"We are the only ones who can change it," he added.

"I told the players this is a tough moment and in tough moments in life there's just one way to go through it, you need your family, you need your your friends and you need to stick together and stay positive

"I'm very convinced that we will do this because I know the players and all the character of the players then we will get these scores, we will get the results."