Nottingham Forest will look to continue their unbeaten run in the Premier League when they travel to Craven Cottage to face Fulham.
Fulham are all set to host Nottingham Forest at the Craven Cottage on Saturday. It is going to be an interesting battle between two teams with contrasting forms in the league. Fulham will be looking to regain their form, while Nottingham Forest will look to continue the good work.
The Cottagers have been sensational in their return to the top flight. Having gained promotion alongside Nottingham Forest last year, Fulham have exceeded expectations. They have won nine out of their 22 matches and are currently eight on the table with 32 points.
They are currently ahead of Chelsea and Liverpool in the league standings. But, of late, they have been struggling to win games. Fulham are on a three-match winless run in the Premier League. They are heading into the Nottingham fixture on the back of a 0-0 draw against a struggling Chelsea outfit.
Marco Silva’s men have failed to score in their last three league matches which might be a major concern. The Fulham boss will have to ensure that their team finds the back of the net against the Reds if they want to end their winless run and push for a Europa League spot.
While their form in front of the goal has been a concern in the last few fixtures, their defence has not helped either. The Cottagers have kept only two clean sheets in 11 league matches on their home turf.
As far as the visitors are concerned, they have been in exceptional form of late. Only Brentford have won more Premier League points than Nottingham Forest in 2023. The Nottinghamshire-based club are currently 13th in the Premier League with 24 points from 21 matches. They are six points off the relegation zone and would love to extend the margin.
Nottingham Forest have been unbeaten in their last five Premier League matches, winning three. Their last defeat in the league came at the hands of Manchester United. While their all-competition form is slightly doggy, they have been rock solid in the English top flight of late.
Steve Cooper’s team will head into this encounter on the back of a 1-0 win over Leeds United. In a game where they hardly manage to have possession of the ball, they played the waiting game and were clinical when it mattered. Brennan Johnson’s strike helped them claim all three points.
The Tricky Trees have not had a great run away from home in the ongoing season. Nottingham Forest have won only one of their ten games on the road. Only Bournemouth have claimed fewer points on their travels.
Last time around when the two teams squared up against each other, the Cottagers came out on top. Marco Silva’s men won 3-2 on the night, with Fulham scoring three goals in six second-half minutes. Since then a lot has changed, the Reds are in great form and willing to be eager to return the favor. And The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Fulham
Neeskens Kebano is still out injured and won’t be available for selection. Midfield duo of Harrison Reed and Tom Cairney had question marks over their fitness. But, Marco Silva has confirmed that Reed is available while Cairney will miss out. As a result, Harry Wilson might start on Saturday.
💬 On the team: "Harrison will be available for the match. TC will not be available. All the others, they will be okay."#FULNFO pic.twitter.com/6dXDfDIJXc
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) February 10, 2023
The main priority of Marco Silva has been the Premier League from the get-go. And as a result, he made nine changes to his XI for the FA Cup clash against Sunderland midweek.
Only Joao Palhinha and Kenny Tete were the regulars who started that fixture. He is expected to make a lot of changes to that midweek XI. Aleksandar Mitrovic will return to the XI and hope that he adds to his tally of 11 goals in the ongoing season of the Premier League.
Marco Silva will once again prefer the 4-2-3-1 formation that has done wonders for them. Bernd Leno will start in goal. Tete and Antonee Robinson will be the full-backs, while Issa Diop and Tim Ream will be the centre-backs.
Andreas Pereira and Palhinha will be the two pivots in midfield, while Bobby Reid, Harry Wilson, and Willian will help out the front-man Mitrovic.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson; Pereira, Palhinha; Reid, Willian, Wilson; Mitrovic
Nottingham Forest
The visitors have a long list of injuries. Dean Henderson, Moussa Niakhate, Taiwo Awoniyi, Omar Richards, Cheikhou Kouyate, and Giulian Biancone are not available for selection. Ryan Yates is a doubt given his illness.
Their latest recruit Keylor Navas will once again start in goal after an impressive debut performance. Meanwhile, Willy Boly and Scott McKenna are expected to be the defensive pair in front of him.
Jonjo Shelvey, Andre Ayew, and Felipe who arrived in the winter window could also be in the mix for this away fixture. Having said that, it is unlikely that any of them get a place in the starting XI. They will most likely make an appearance off the bench.
Friday feeling. 😁 pic.twitter.com/1WAtJiBUcw
— Nottingham Forest FC (@NFFC) February 10, 2023
Steve Cooper is expected to go ahead with the 4-3-1-2 formation with a diamond in the midfield. Navas will be in the goal. Serge Aurier, Willy Boly, Scott McKenna, and Renan Lodi will make the back four.
Danilo, Remo Freuler, and Orel Mangala will sit in front of the back line. Morgan Gibbs-White will feature as the attacking midfielder behind the front two of Brennan Johnson and Newcastle United loanee Chris Wood.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Navas; Aurier, Boly, McKenna, Lodi; Danilo, Freuler, Mangala; Gibbs-White; Johnson, Wood
Key Stats
- In the 13 encounters between Fulham and Nottingham Forest, the Reds have won five, while the Whites have come out on top on 7 occasions.
- Aleksandar Mitrovic has been in red-hot form, he has hit the back of the net on 11 occasions in his 18 starts. Meanwhile, Andreas Pereira has seven goals for the Whites.
- Nottingham Forest have won just one game out of ten on their travels in the ongoing Premier League season.
- The Cottagers have kept just two clean sheets in 11 league matches on their home turf.
- Only Brentford (13) have won more Premier League points than Nottingham Forest (11) in 2023.
Player to Watch
Keylor Navas
Navas has recently joined Nottingham Forest on loan from Paris Saint-Germain. He made his Premier League debut against Leeds United last time around. The three-time Champions League winner was absolutely sensational in goal. He made a few great saves and kept a clean sheet on debut.
If Nottingham Forest want to get one better over Fulham they will need their goalkeeper in prime form. Navas is once again expected to put in a show between the sticks. It won’t be easy for Fulham to get past a man who has done it against the best in the business during the course of his career.
Prediction
Fulham 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest could come out on top by the barest of margins. They are on a great run of form in the league. While the home team Fulham have struggled of late. With Keylor Navas in goal, Nottingham Forest will believe they can stop Aleksandar Mitrovic and Andreas Pereira.
If they manage to keep a clean sheet against the Cottagers, they have it in them to get a goal and snatch all three points on the night. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-0 win for the Reds.
