The mercurial Morgan Gibbs-White inspired Nottingham Forest to a precious victory over Fulham at a wet City Ground tonight on an evening that felt transformational in Forest’s fight against relegation from the Premier League.
The former Wolves playmaker orchestrated an outstanding Forest first-half display that saw Nuno Espirito Santo’s side surge in a 3-0 half-time lead – virtually finishing the match as a contest before the first 45 minutes had been completed. Forest were vibrant and tigerish from the outset, utterly bossing Fulham from the first whistle and Marco Silva’s displeasure with his side’s lacklustre display was illustrated by the fact that he made a triple substitution in the 31st minute.
By that time, a rampant Forest were already 2-0 to the good. Gibbs-White made Forest’s opener, turning away from Joao Palhinha to slot a superb ball inside the recalled Kenny Tete with the outside of his right foot to release former Fulham transfer target Callum Hudson-Odoi. The former Chelsea winger was afforded far too much time to saunter inside the recalled Kenny Tete and roll a precise finish across Bernd Leno in the far corner of the net.
Fulham were rocked by Forest’s fast start and could easily have conceded quickly after the shock of falling behind from the home side’s early onslaught. Hudson-Odoi really should have made it two but was denied by a smart save from Leno after the winger had been played in by Gibbs-White. The second goal arrived shortly afterward with New Zealand international Chris Wood spinning away from Calvin Bassey and shooting beyond an unsighted Bernd Leno after collecting a precise pass from Murillo. The goal seemed far too straightforward for Wood to score from at least 25 yards out – but Fulham paid the penalty for not matching Forest’s electric start.
Nuno’s charges should have made it 3-0 when Anthony Elanga and the instrumental Gibbs-White linked up but the former Manchester United sidefooted wide – via the outside of the far post. That stretched Silva’s patience. The Fulham manager had been seething in his technical area about his side’s lack of intensity and hauled off Harry Wilson, Alex Iwobi and Sasa Lukic – replacing the trio with Adama Traoré, Willian and Tom Cairney.
The change did briefly enliven Fulham as an attacking force but Rodrigo Muniz nodded wide of goal when the Brazilian connected with a floated Tete cross from the right and, although the visitors enjoyed far more of the ball with Cairney introduced into the engine room, disaster struck three minutes into added time at the end of the first half. Gibbs-White galloped through an almost non-existent Fulham midfield again, latching onto a lovely forward ball from Danilo, and placed a precise finish beyond Leno to the delight of a vociferous home faithful.
Silva sent Fulham out early for the resumption – and his stern team talk appeared to have paid dividends when Tosin Adarabioyo emphatically headed home Andreas Pereira’s corner within four minutes of the restart. The Cottagers committed numbers forward but there were almost picked off at the back when former Fulham loanee Neco Williams surged clear down the right flank and rattled a rasping drive off the post – via Cairney, who was fortunate not to score another own goal.
Fulham enjoyed far more of the ball in a second half that appeared to be almost one-way traffic at times but couldn’t pull of a second stirring comeback in the space of four days after their Muniz-inspired revival at Bramall Lane. Mats Sels made a magnificent save to keep out another Tosin header that looked set to nestle into the top corner of the net, before Tete hit the crossbar after timing his leap perfectly to meet Andreas Pereira’s corner.
Fulham’s plentiful possession proved academic as a resolute Forest rearguard held firm., Traore hit the outside of the post in the final minute of stoppage time, but the result was a foregone conclusion by that point. Silva’s side had ultimately paid the penalty for a shambolic first half defensive display that shattered their hopes of making a late push for the European places. The unpalatable truth was that Forest wanted this more.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST (4-2-3-1): Sels; Williams, Aina (Toffolo 83), Omobamidele, Murillo; Yates, Danilo; Elanga (Dominguez 83), Hudson-Odoi (Origi 70), Gibbs-White (Reyna 77); Wood. Subs (not used): Turner, Niakhate, Montiel, Sangare, Kouyate.
BOOKED: Turner.
GOALS: Hudson-Odoi (9), Wood (19), Gibbs-White (45+3).
FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, A. Robinson, Adarabioyo, Bassey; Palhinha (Reed 71), Lukic (Cairney 33); Wilson (Traore 33), Iwobi (Willian 33), Pereira (De Cordova-Reid 71); Muniz. Subs (not used): Rodak, Castagne, Ream, Jimenez.
GOAL: Adarabioyo (49).
REFEREE: Michael Oliver (Tyne and Wear)
ATTENDANCE: 29,907
