Fulham and Nottingham Forest will aim to continue their recent winning runs when they face off at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
The 2024/25 Premier League season has resumed this week with Gameweek 25. Saturday will feature seven matches, starting with the game between Leicester City and Arsenal at the King Power Stadium. The action will continue with five simultaneous fixtures, including Fulham vs Nottingham Forest at Craven Cottage.
Marco Silva continues to find himself at home at Fulham, and the Cottagers have improved leaps and bounds this season after blowing hot and cold last term. While the hosts remain a middle-of-the-rung team, they have shown considerable progress and should seal a top-half finish in the 2024/25 campaign.
On the other hand, when you talk about the surprise packages of the 2024/25 season, Nottingham Forest’s name immediately springs to mind. Nuno Espirito Santo has overseen a mind-boggling campaign that has seen the Tricky Trees rise to third in the Premier League standings, six points ahead of fifth-placed Manchester City.
The reverse fixture saw Fulham eke a narrow 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest, with Raul Jimenez converting from the spot to score the game’s only goal. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Fulham
Marco Silva has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Fulham manager will be bereft of the services of three first-team players vs Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Kenny Tete (knee) and Harry Wilson (foot) are the closest to returning to action. However, the duo will not be back until April as they continue their rehabilitation programs. Meanwhile, Reiss Nelson is a long-term absentee due to a hamstring injury.
Bernd Leno is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Fulham lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The backline should feature Timothy Castagne, Joachim Andersen, Calvin Bassey, and Antonee Robinson.
As for the midfield unit, Sasa Lukic and Sander Berge will likely pair up in the double pivot, with Emile Smith Rowe reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Raul Jimenez will spearhead the Fulham attack against Nottingham Forest, with Adama Traore and Alex Iwobi being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Lukic, Berge; Traore, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Jimenez
Nottingham Forest
Unlike his counterpart in the Fulham dugout, Nuno Espirito Santo has new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Craven Cottage. The Nottingham Forest manager might be without two first-team players on Saturday.
Carlos Miguel (hamstring) and Taiwo Awoniyi (nose) are the latest absentees after sustaining their injuries in the FA Cup fourth-round tie with Exeter City last weekend. However, Murillo (thigh) and Callum Hudson-Odoi (groin) should be fit and available to take on Fulham.
Matz Sels will take his spot between the sticks, with Nottingham Forest lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs Fulham on Saturday. The central defensive unit should feature Morato, Nikola Milenkovic, and Murillo. Ola Aina and Neco Williams are automatic picks as the two wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Danilo and Elliot Anderson in the double pivot. Finally, Chris Wood will lead the line for Nottingham Forest against Fulham, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Anthony Elanga completing the supporting cast.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Sels; Morato, Milenkovic, Murillo; Aina, Anderson, Danilo, Williams; Gibbs-White, Elanga; Wood
Key Stats
- Fulham have won four of the last five Premier League games vs Nottingham Forest, including both games at Craven Cottage by an aggregate score of 7-0. The Tricky Trees have lost nine of their 12 most recent league fixtures against Fulham, although two of their three victories have been on the road.
- Fulham have not won at home in the Premier League since December 5, registering four draws and a defeat at Craven Cottage since then. Meanwhile, the Cottagers will aim to win successive Premier League matches for the first time since November.
- Nottingham Forest have won eight of their last 10 Premier League games (D1 L1). Victory on Saturday would give them 50 points in a top-flight season for the first time since the 1995/96 campaign.
- Nottingham Forest have scored the opening goal in a league-high 19 of their 24 top-flight fixtures this term. Meanwhile, 11 of Fulham’s 36 goals in the 2024/25 Premier League season have come from a substitute, the joint-highest figure.
- Raul Jimenez has scored three goals in his last two league appearances against Nottingham Forest.
Player to Watch
Chris Wood
While Raul Jimenez, Emile Smith Rowe, and Anthony Elanga were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Chris Wood as our Player to Watch for Saturday’s game between Fulham and Nottingham Forest. The veteran striker continues to boggle the mind, with his haul against Brighton & Hove Albion last week taking him to 17 goals and two assists in 24 Premier League outings.
Meanwhile, the 33-year-old will look towards Elanga for inspiration, considering their blossoming partnership. Wood and Elanga have combined for 11 Premier League goals since the 2023/24 season began, the second-highest total behind Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson. They will hope to bolster that record this weekend and deliver the goods for the Tricky Trees again,
Prediction
Fulham 1-2 Nottingham Forest
Beating Fulham at Craven Cottage is not easy, even though the hosts have not won in their home conditions in a Premier League game since December 5. However, the tenacious Nottingham Forest might have the ingredients to find a way past Bernd Leno and grab the much-desired three points.
While there might not be much to separate the two teams throughout regulation time, the Nottingham Forest juggernaut should continue rolling forward. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for Nuno Espirito Santo and his charges.
