Having earned progression into the FA Cup fifth round with a win over Championship Sunderland in mid-week, it didn’t take Fulham long to once again find their rhythm in the PL.
A stellar signing since arriving in the summer, Willian netted his third goal of the campaign in stylish fashion, wriggling beyond the Forest defenders, before crunching a left-footed shot into the top corner.
In cruise control, Fulham could’ve had a second before the break if it wasn’t for the intervention of Keylor Navas, with the Champions League-winning goalkeeper smothering a close-range effort from Aleksandar Mitrović.
Two sides that had been competing in the second division last season, but at the halfway stage of the current campaign, both Forest and Fulham’s objectives appear much different.
With an outside chance of reaching the European positions, Marco Silva’s side will no doubt need a slice of luck to compete for continental football.
They certainly got that midway through the second half, with goalkeeper Bernd Leno making a close-range save to deny Serge Aurier from equalising with a back-post header.
In truth, Forest, who had struggled to keep up with Fulham in the first half, did show a huge improvement in the second period and were perhaps unlucky not to be travelling back up to the Midlands with at least one point to show for their efforts.
Ultimately, Fulham displayed their clinical superiority by netting the clincher with two minutes of normal time to play. Manor Solomon, whose campaign so far had been ravaged by injuries, came off the bench for Fulham, before sliding home the game’s decisive goal, taking the roof off the Cottage in the process.
It’s a victory that edges the West Londoners even closer to the PL’s European spaces, as the Fulham faithful begin to dream of continental football making a return to Craven Cottage next season.
As for Forest, it isn’t a detrimental result in the grand scheme of things, but there remains plenty of work to do for Steve Cooper’s side, should they wish to retain their top-flight status.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Willian (Fulham)
