Fulham continue their push for a top-ten finish with a home clash against Nottingham Forest at Craven Cottage.
Victory will see Fulham go sixth if Brighton and Brentford both lose elsewhere, whilst Forest can go 12th if they better Crystal Palace’s result elsewhere.
Team News
Harrison Reed is a doubt for Fulham after he suffered a minor knee injury during their midweek FA Cup replay victory at Sunderland.
Tom Cairney (ankle) is a doubt but Neeskens Kebano (Achilles) remains absent.
Forest have no fresh injury concerns but could again be without January signing, Jonjo Shelvey as he nears a return from a calf injury.
Dean Henderson (muscle), Giulian Biancone (knee), Omar Richards (leg), Moussa Niakhate (thigh), Cheikhou Kouyate (hamstring), Ryan Yates (illness) and Taiwo Awoniyi (groin) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Fulham host Forest at Craven Cottage in a 3pm GMT kick-off on Saturday 11 February, albeit untelevised in UK.
Stat Attack
- Fulham won their only previous Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest by 3-2 result in September 2022.
- Forest have won three of their last five league visits to Fulham (W3, L2).
- Fulham have kept just one clean sheet in their last six home matches against Forest, which came in a 2-0 win in February 2018.
- Marco Silva’s Cottagers are looking to avoid going four consecutive league games without a goal for the first time since a five-match run in December 1999.
- Three of Forest’s six league goals since the turn of 2023 has been scored by Brennan Johnson.
Prediction
After recently hitting a rut with no goals in their last three league games and having scraped a replay against Sunderland in the FA Cup, Fulham certainly rebounded in the replay with a fantastically dominant attacking performance with three cracking goals.
Silva’s Cottagers though did have to weather periods of pressure which they largely did well and limited the Black Cats to two late moments of magic, before manging the game to the final whistle so I would like to see them bring that same quality into this match.
Forest meanwhile snatched a well-deserved clinical win over Leeds last weekend with a strong smash-and-grab winner, in a game where they defended brilliantly throughout under immense pressure aided by sensational saves by Keylor Navas.
Now if both teams can build upon their respective performances and Forest deliver another stubborn defensive display, I can see goals at both ends so am going for a score draw but don’t be surprised if this is another thriller.
Prediction: Fulham 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Result: Fulham 2-0 Nottingham Forest