Fulham secured a crucial victory over Nottingham Forest, with Emile Smith Rowe and Calvin Bassey playing key roles in the 2-1 win at Craven Cottage. The home side dominated the game, registering ten shots on target compared to Forest’s two, yet still found themselves level at halftime.
Fulham have enjoyed an impressive season, claiming wins over Newcastle, Chelsea, and completing the double over Forest. However, their inconsistency against lower-half teams has prevented them from breaking into the Champions League qualification race. Despite their strong performances against top sides, missed opportunities have left them with a sense of what could have been.
Marco Silva’s side started the game brightly, frequently exploiting the gaps in Forest’s defensive setup. Adama Traoré was a constant threat down the right, delivering a series of dangerous crosses. It was from one of these deliveries that Smith Rowe found the net, heading in at the back post to give Fulham a deserved lead.
Forest, despite struggling to create chances, managed to find an equalizer against the run of play. A long pass from Morgan Gibbs-White took a fortunate deflection off Chris Wood, who showed strength to hold off defenders before calmly placing his shot into the bottom corner. It was another clinical finish from Wood, who has been in outstanding form this season, netting 18 league goals.
At halftime, Nuno Espírito Santo adjusted Forest’s setup, switching to a back four for more defensive stability. While this helped limit Fulham’s attacking opportunities, the home side remained a threat from set pieces. The breakthrough came just after the hour mark when Sasa Lukic’s corner was flicked on by Raúl Jiménez, allowing Bassey to rise above his marker and head the ball into the top corner.
The goal marked a rare scoring moment for Bassey, who has built his reputation as a strong and reliable defender rather than a goal threat. It was only the fourth goal of his career, but significantly, his teams have always won when he has found the net.
Despite some late pressure from Forest, Fulham saw out the game comfortably to claim all three points. With more clinical finishing and consistency against lower-ranked teams, their strong campaign could have been even more remarkable. However, the win keeps their European hopes alive as they continue to push towards the season’s final stretch.
