Emile Smith Rowe and Calvin Bassey headed Fulham to their first home league win of the New Year as Marco Silva’s side closed the gap on a high-flying Nottingham Forest with an assured performance at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
The Whites were on the front foot from the off – and shrugged off the setback of Chris Wood’s equaliser coming from the visitors’ only shot on target in the first 45 minutes to register an important three points. The win was built upon free flowing football against one of the division’s most miserly defences – with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side looking leggy after their FA Cup exertions at Exeter City.
It was former Fulham full back Neco Williams who had the sight of goal after twisting Timothy Castagne inside out, but shot wide of Bernd Leno’s near post. But Adama Traore decisively won his battle with the Welshman over the course of the afternoon. The former Wolves winger was a contest menace against his old manager, teasing Williams before hanging up a high cross to the far post where Raul Jimenez headed fractionally wide.
Nuno’s switch to a back three has solidified their defence in the main, but it became far too easy for Traore to get at Williams. The former Barcelona academy graduate has struggled for consistency in the Premier League but he produced a peach of cross to give Silva’s side the lead on fifteen minutes. That it landed on the head of Emile Smith Rowe was a fitting reward for the England international’s own determination to break into the box – and the midfielder made no mistakes from four yards.
Traore’s blistering pace could have delivered a second goal when a floated ball reached Jimenez, but Mats Sels stretched out a glove to gather. The Forest goalkeeper then did brilliantly to palm aside a Jimenez curler that looked destined for the bottom corner before Sasa Lukic, who had an exceptional game as Fulham’s engine room dominated Nuno’s midfield, miscued after seeing space open up for him.
Forest’s approach play in the final third had been non-existent for a while until the mercurial Morgan Gibbs-White floated a ball forward for Wood. The New Zealand international used his strength against the Fulham centre halves and saw his shot deflected off Bassey into the net. It was a sucker punch for Fulham, who had enjoyed the most of the play, but a timely reminder of the dangers of not taking their chances.
Iwobi drove over a corner and then fluffed his lines with Sels to beat before the Forest keeper scrambled to get down to another long-range Raul piledriver. The first fifteen minutes of the second half passed with little incident before Castagne volleyed over at the back post, Traore saw an effort deflected wide and Sels pulled off another splendid stop from Sasa Lukic’s shot, which sparked an almightly goalmouth scramble.
The Serbian got his revenge from the ensuing corner, with his deep delivery headed back across goal by Jimenez for Bassey to loop a header into the net. That was the fourth goal of the Nigerian centre half’s senior career, which spans 189 games, and they have all come in victories. Getting more goals from Fulham’s imposing defenders has been a Silva aim for some time – but Bassey’s header felt like the cue for the opening of the floodgates.
That didn’t happen, but the Whites navigated the dying embers of a tight contest well. Traore nearly squeezed a shot through Sels’ legs before the Belgian goalkeeper then made a superb double stop to deny substitutes Harrison Reed and Rodrigo Muniz. Fulham hold on for a vital victory that might have been designed with Paddy Barclay in mind.
FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno, Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Luki? (Reed 83′), Berge, Traoré (Sessegnon 90′), Smith Rowe (Andreas Pereira 82′), Iwobi (Willian 90), Jiménez (Muniz 76). Subs (not used): Benda, Cairney, Pereira, Diop.
GOALs: Smith Rowe (15), Bassey (62).
NOTTINGHAM FOREST (3-4-3): Sels; Morato (Hudson-Odoi 68), Milenkovic, Murillo; Aina, Gibbs-White, Danilo (Sangaré 63), Anderson (Jota Silva 85); Williams, Wood, Elanga. Subs (not used): Hennessey, Moreno, Sosa, Boly.
GOAL: Wood (37).
REFEREE: Tom Brammall (South Yorkshire).
ATTENDANCE: 27,164.
What a poetic ending and a lovely tribute to Paddy.
Our best display of the season, Traore brilliant.
If we keep playing like this we will get into Europe we have to keep playing with pace and put away more of our chances,Traore had his best game yet and Lukic had another great game.
24 attempts on goal. That stat shows exactly how dominant we were and we could, and should, have won this game by a far bigger margin.
Too many draws (that should have been wins) see us several places below Forest in the table but there’s no denying that we are, in fact, a better team in every department.
For me, Jiminez’ performance in the first half was superb. He was looking to shoot at every opportunity, combining trickery with aerial domination and a work rate that could not be faulted.
Ably supported by his other, former Wolves player in Traore, the two gave Espirito Santos nightmares throughout.
Forest, despite their lofty placing in the table, were simply no match for Fulham.
Andersen, Bassey (apart from the Forest goal), Lukic and Berge -were all immense.
This, without doubt, was our best home performance for a very long time but, when Forest, out of nowhere, equalised, I thought: “oh no, here we go again”.
But our second half performance, when only their keeper saved Forest from a savage beating, ensured the three points.
Great stuff! If we can achieve the same level against Palace, it will be absolutely brilliant.
I totally agree with Charles, their keeper kept Wolves in the game. Our best game under Silva. Traore was immense