Nottingham Forest vs Fulham Report
Scorers: Jimenez 51’ (P)
Raúl Jiménez’s second-half penalty secured Fulham a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, marking their fifth win in six head-to-head clashes at the City Ground.
Early Action and Missed Opportunities
Fulham started the match strongly, immediately pushing for an early goal. Adama Traoré’s dangerous cross forced Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels to tip the ball awkwardly over the bar.
However, Forest soon settled into the game, with Elliot Anderson’s long-range effort deflecting wide and Taiwo Awoniyi coming close to marking his first Premier League start of the season with an acrobatic attempt that narrowly missed the target.
Chris Wood thought he had opened the scoring for Forest before the half-hour mark when he prodded home Ola Aina’s cross. However, the New Zealand striker was judged offside, and the goal was disallowed.
The half continued to be scrappy, with both sides struggling to carve out clear-cut chances. Emile Smith Rowe and Ryan Yates each had attempts that went wide, and Fulham managed a late first-half surge with blocked strikes from Traoré and Smith Rowe.
Jiménez Breaks the Deadlock
The breakthrough for Fulham came shortly after the restart when Murillo fouled Andreas Pereira, conceding a penalty.
Although Murillo argued that he should have taken the spot-kick himself, Raúl Jiménez stepped up confidently to score, becoming only the second Mexican player to reach 50 Premier League goals.
The goal sparked a brief end-to-end period, with Forest bringing on Callum Hudson-Odoi, who injected some energy into their search for an equalizer. Despite looking lively, Hudson-Odoi fired a shot wide after cutting inside, missing the chance to level the score.
Joachim Andersen made a crucial defensive header to clear a James Ward-Prowse cross, preventing any danger for Fulham. Meanwhile, Jiménez almost extended the lead but sent his shot just wide.
Fulham See Out the Win
As the match drew to a close, Jota Silva attempted a volley that went straight into the hands of Bernd Leno. Fulham then sought to slow the game down, effectively managing possession to extend their unbeaten Premier League run to five matches.
The Cottagers secured their first back-to-back league wins of the season and inflicted Forest’s first league defeat of the campaign.
Key Moments
- Jiménez’s Penalty Goal (51′): Raúl Jiménez confidently converts from the spot to score the only goal of the match.
- Disallowed Goal (29′): Chris Wood’s close-range finish is ruled out for offside, keeping the score level.
- Hudson-Odoi’s Effort (70′): Callum Hudson-Odoi comes off the bench and adds flair to Forest’s attack but fires wide after cutting inside.
Fulham’s Unbeaten Streak and Forest’s First Loss
This victory not only continues Fulham’s unbeaten run in the Premier League but also sees them achieve consecutive league wins for the first time this season.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest’s solid start to the campaign takes a hit as they suffer their first loss, despite a spirited effort to find an equaliser.
Conclusion
Raúl Jiménez’s calm and composed penalty sealed the points for Fulham in a tightly contested affair, with the Cottagers showing strong game management to secure the victory.
Nottingham Forest, despite a solid performance, will be left to rue their missed chances as they look to bounce back in their upcoming fixtures.
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