Calvin Bassey headed in the winner as Fulham earned a 2-1 victory to complete a league double over Nottingham Forest.
Chris Wood scored his 18th goal of the season to cancel out Emile Smith Rowe’s first-half opener, but the out-of-sorts visitors could not take revenge for their 1-0 defeat earlier in the campaign at the City Ground as Bassey netted the decisive goal in the second half.
Forest remain third in the Premier League but now sit only four points inside the top four after Manchester City and Bournemouth closed the gap. Fulham are up to eighth, four points behind sixth-placed Chelsea.
Fulham’s Emile Smith Rowe celebrates scoring
Fulham were much the better side throughout with Smith Rowe nodding them into a 15th-minute lead after Adama Traore had cut inside from the right and crossed with his left foot to the back post for the Fulham midfielder.
Traore terrorised Neco Williams in the first half, burning past the defender to deliver a headed chance for Raul Jimenez, but it was the winger’s tracking back to stop a Forest counter-attack that drew the biggest cheer.
Jimenez also impressed, sending a first-time shot that Matz Sels tipped behind with Fulham threatening every time they went forward.
Forest were uncharacteristically outplayed, yet their talisman dragged them level. Wood outmuscled Bassey and shrugged off Antonee Robinson to latch onto Morgan Gibbs-White’s lofted pass before sending a placed shot into the bottom-left corner.
Chris Wood celebrates scoring Forest’s equaliser
Fulham looked to hit back when Jimenez’s shot was pushed away by Sels, who made a string of fine saves to keep his side in the game.
He could do little about the winner which came in the 62nd minute. Jimenez flicked a corner on at the near post and Bassey arrived at the far post to head it back across goal into the right corner.
Forest tried to get back into the match by bringing on Callum Hudson-Odoi and switching to four at the back, but it was Fulham who went closest. Sels denied Traore, who deserved a goal for his performance, and then made a double save late on.
Nuno learns lesson in Fulham defeat
Sky Sports’ David Richardson:
The life of a manager is such that a 7-0 victory can be followed by a 2-1 defeat despite using the same team and formation.
How could Nuno Espirito Santo have changed anything after Nottingham Forest dismantled Brighton? He wished he had at Craven Cottage.
“There are so many things that I would do differently now,” admitted Nuno. He stuck with five at the back yet Fulham exposed their wide areas and the space in front of the defence. Forest were pinned back and couldn’t counter as effectively as usual.
Nottingham Forest had more momentum than Fulham for a sustained period during the second half after changing formation
When Forest did change to a back four with little over 20 minutes left, they found more joy themselves out wide through substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi. The game became more stretched and Forest were on top for the first time.
“We know that the change gives us more width, more things that we are used to, but at the same time the contacts on the box or the crosses were not there,” added Nuno. It was a harsh lesson and a reminder of football’s unpredictability.
Nuno: I’d do many things differently now
Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo said:
“It was a tough game. First half, Fulham created a lot of problems, they were in control of the game. We were able to go back in the game with Chris’ goal, he made it by himself.
“In the second half, we started well but we started losing duels and allowed too many set-pieces that caused problems.”
On changing to a back four in the second half: “We have to look at the game, we have to know that the change gives us more width, more things that we are used to, but at the same time the contacts on the box or the crosses were not there.
“We rushed a little bit, there are so many things that I would do differently now, but now it’s about looking at the game and preparing for the next one.”
Silva: We were by far the best team
Fulham head coach Marco Silva said:
“Well deserved three points. Great performance from us from the first minute to the last. We were by far the best team on the pitch.
“We controlled the game. The way we circulated the ball, the way we managed the ball, and the way we were always really well prepared to lose the ball.”
Silva unlocks Forest with tactical masterclass
Sky Sports’ David Richardson:
Marco Silva delivered a tactical masterclass to expose Nottingham Forest’s organised defence.
“We expected them to play with five at the back and with three midfielders, we knew that the spaces were going to be out wide definitely,” he said after Fulham racked up 24 shots – 10 on target – and an xG of 2.24.
Adama Traore terrorised Neco Williams down the right while Raul Jimenez dropped off the front line at times to allow runners to move beyond him. A combination of the two led to Emile Smith Rowe heading in the opener.
“The first goal is something that we have been working on to arrive in that spot with the pocket player there plus the winger to create some superiority,” explained Silva of Smith Rowe’s movement to arrive at the back post to meet Traore’s in-swinging cross.
“Even if Raul (Jimenez) was not there where normally he should be, the move from Emile and the great assist from Adama is something that we have been working on. You see throughout the game more moments like that one, Sasa Lukic had one as well in the first half to arrive in the same spot.
“We knew that they have big boys there with three at the back but if you do the right move in the right moment and the ball comes quick, it’s a really difficult spot to defend and we exploited it.”
