Fulham will hope to halt their volatile and inconsistent run of results when they host a Nottingham Forest side showing good form under Sean Dyche.
Marco Silva will want Fulham to show some level of consistency with their results, as the Cottagers reside in 15th spot in the standings heading into their next game on Monday night against Nottingham Forest. They host an equally inconsistent side, and there is no way to predict which way the result might travel.
Sticking with Fulham, the Cottagers ended a two-game losing streak and secured a much-needed Premier League victory over Burnley. A Harry Wilson masterclass in that clash saw Silva’s men collect the three points, but the game was by no means an easy victory.
They have since lost to Newcastle United away from home in their EFL Cup quarter-final, after Lewis Miley scored late in the game to steal the victory. Silva would want to see his side show defensive stability at the basic level and not concede unwanted goals, which continues to kill their objective of finishing in one of the European places.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest will have had a whole week and more to prepare for this trip to Craven Cottage, and Sean Dyche will want to build on their result from last weekend. After a few games alternating with victories and losses, Forest have stitched together a run of two wins.
First, it was against FC Utrecht two Thursdays ago on the continental front, and then last weekend when they beat the reigning Europa League champions Tottenham at the City Ground in the Premier League. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ibrahim Sangare single-handedly dismantled this Spurs side, with a 3-0 scoreline proof of how well Dyche has coached this side.
Despite posting some impressive results, such as the win over Spurs or the triumph at Anfield many weeks ago, Forest have continued to reside in 17th place in the standings. While Dyche’s men have a six-point cushion over nearest relegation battlers West Ham United, there’s a collective need to steer further clear of the danger zone, and a victory over Fulham will massively help in that regard, given the Hammers lost at the weekend.
Team News & Tactics
Fulham
Marco Silva will have to make do without the key trio of Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi, and Samuel Chukwueze for the next period owing to their participation with Nigeria for the AFCON. There are fresh concerns with Sasa Lukic, who may have a groin problem, although Silva remained optimistic over the midfielder’s chances of making it through ahead of Monday night’s action.
Ryan Sessegnon is out of contention alongside Rodrigo Muniz in the current squad. Silva should select Jorge Cuenca to replace Bassey at the back, while Kevin should be the ideal choice in place of the tricky Chukwueze on the wings.
Beyond that, Silva should select a lineup comprising regular starters, including Emile Smith Rowe, who has been in good form of late. Antonee Robinson and Keny Tete should complete the backline, while Silva will hope Lukic turns up fit to sit alongside Sander Berge in Fulham’s midfield setting against Nottingham Forest.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Anderson, Cuenca, Robinson, Berge, Lukic; Wilson, Smith-Rowe, Kevin; Jimenez
Nottingham Forest
Right when Ibrahim Sangare put in an inspired performance against Tottenham, Sean Dyche has had to lose his key midfielder to AFCON. Willy Boly joins him, but the defender will not be sorely missed nearly as much as the Ivorian will be. So, Nicolas Dominguez is an option to replace Sangare in the midfield setting.
Dyche might also ponder using Douglas Luiz there alongside key man Elliot Anderson, while he does not have any major injury or fitness concerns in the team beyond the regulars who have missed most parts of the season. Those include Ola Aina, Chris Wood and Ryan Yates.
Taiwo Awoniyi was seen as a doubt, but the striker, alongside Nicolas Dominguez and Matz Sels, is expected to be passed fit for the trip to London. Dyche is unlikely to make any changes apart from the enforced one in midfield as Nottingham Forest prepare to take on Fulham.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Savona, Milinkovic, Murillo, Williams; Luiz, Anderson; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus
Key Stats
- Fulham have won six of their last seven matches against Nottingham Forest in all competitions.
- Fulham have conceded at least two goals in their last three Premier League matches.
- Nottingham Forest are six points away from the relegation zone. The Tricky Trees have won six of their last eight games across all competitions.
- Fulham have both scored and conceded in their last four Premier League games, with these games producing a total of 20 goals (5 per game).
- Harry Wilson, a popular pick in our FPL recommendations, has been involved in six goals in his last four Premier League games (3 goals, 3 assists). Overall, he’s been involved in eight goals this season (5 goals, 3 assists), his second most in a top-flight campaign after 2023-24 (10).
Player to Watch
Callum Hudson-Odoi
Following last weekend’s successful performance against Tottenham, there is no other player in this Nottingham Forest side eager to prove himself further against Fulham than Hudson-Odoi. The English winger has not been an automatic starter this season under three different managers, but Sean Dyche could benefit from his uptick in form.
Hudson-Odoi will want to repeat his display from last weekend on Monday night, and there is a lot to be desired in terms of results with this Forest side. With Fulham missing a host of their stars with AFCON duties, this could be a good game for Hudson-Odoi to prove that he deserves a starting spot in this team, as he could be instrumental in hurting the Cottagers.
Prediction
Fulham 2-2 Nottingham Forest
On one side, Fulham and Nottingham Forest are both inconsistent when it comes to stitching together a good run of results, while these are teams are known to concede at a heavy rate at times. Hence, there is no separating the two sides, as Silva hopes his team can rely on home comfort to get a big result under their belt.
However, Nottingham Forest have seen an upturn in form of late, and put together a run of two wins across all competitions. Whether that will help them add a third remains to be seen, because as things stand, these two are expected to play out an entertaining draw at Craven Cottage.