Barring the recent hiccup at Bournemouth, Forest have been strong away from home, winning four of their last five league games on the road. Fulham, by contrast, are winless in their last five league games on home soil.
The Cottagers, though, are a bit of a bogey team for Forest, winning four of the last five head-to-head meetings between the two sides, including a 1-0 win earlier in the season. We do, then, fancy this one to end all square. Fulham 1-1 Nottingham Forest.
Nottingham Forest are looking to further their Champions League hopes as they take on Fulham in the Premier League this weekend.
Fulham are currently 9th in the Premier League with 36 points from 23 games. The Cottagers are having a strong campaign under Marco Silva as they target a top seven finish. Fulham's highest-ever top-flight finish was a 7th placed finish in the 2008-09 season under Roy Hodgson, so if they were able to equal that this season, it would be a monumental achievement.
The Cottagers have a very balanced team with few week spots. They have one of the best left-backs in the league in Antonee Robinson, a creative, X-factor talent in Alex Iwobi and a pair of very good 9s in Raúl Jiménez and Rodrigo Muniz. They currently sit only four points shy of Bournemouth in 7th, so while a top seven finish is still a huge ask of this team, it's a realistic goal.
The foundation of Fulham's success is their defence, with Marco Silva's side having conceded just 32 goals in the league. Having also scored 36 times, you can see they're a very competent side at both ends of the pitch, with few identifiable weaknesses.
This is one of the bigger tests the teams has faced this season with how strong Nottingham Forest have been, but three points here would be a huge statement in their bid to secure European football.
Nottingham Forest currently sit 3rd in the Premier League with 47 points from 24 games. The Tricky Trees are having the season of a lifetime as they attempt to secure Champions League football for the first time since the early 1980s.
The expectation has been that Forest will drop off and finish somewhere in the top eight or nine places, but time and time again, they're displaying an immense level of resilience that is slowly convincing the masses that they'll be competing in the Champions League next season. They're currently six points clear of Manchester City in 5th, so they have a decent cushion, but it's one that will quickly erode if they can't maintain a strong level of performance.
Forest have goals all over the pitch, with striker Chris Wood enjoying a career-best season at the age of 33, scoring 17 goals in the league so far. Morgan Gibbs-White is also at the top of his game, pulling the strings in the middle of the pitch behind Wood, while Forest's defence is outstanding having conceded only 27 goals - only Liverpool and Arsenal have conceded fewer.
In terms of fixture difficulty, Nuno Santo's men have an extremely tough end to the season and will need to play at an exceptionally high level to maintain their position. A trip to Craven Cottage is one of the tougher games in the Premier League schedule, but if Forest want to secure top four, it's a game they're probably going to need three points from.
This game will not be televised live in the UK, but partial radio coverage will be provided by BBC Radio Nottingham.
Fulham Team News:
The Cottagers will once again be without Reiss Nelson and Kenny Tete, both of whom are out injured.
Harry Wilson is also a doubt for Marco Silva's side, with Adama Traoré likely to keep his starting place.
Predicted lineup: Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Lukić, Berge; Traoré, Smith-Rowe, Iwobi; Jiménez.
Nottingham Forest Team News:
Forest come into this game with a very clean bill of health, with Callum Hudson-Odoi the only uncertainty.
Hudson-Odoi has returned to training with Forest but it remains to be seen what his involvement will be here. At best, he'll likely only make the bench, with a starting berth unlikely.
Predicted lineup: Sels; Morato, Milenković, Murillo; Aina, Gibbs-White, Danilo, Anderson, Williams; Wood, Elanga.
Fulham:
Fulham enter this game with three wins and two defeats from their last five matches. Last weekend, the Cottagers faced Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup fifth round and emerged 2-1 winners thanks to Rodrigo Muniz brace.
Before that, Fulham beat Newcastle 2-1 away from home thanks to goals from Raúl Jiménez and Muniz, which followed a 0-1 loss to Manchester United and a 2-0 win over Leicester City, where Emile Smith-Rowe and Adama Traoré grabbed the goals.
Those results came after a 3-2 defeat to West Ham, where an Alex Iwobi brace could not prevent a defeat.
Nottingham Forest:
Nottingham Forest come into this one with three wins, one draw and one loss from their last five. Forest's last outing was a penalty shootout win over Exeter City in the FA Cup following q 2-2 draw where Ramón Sosa and Taiwo Awoniyi scored the goals.
Prior to that, Forest thumped Brighton & Hove Albion 7-0 thanks to goals from Morgan Gibbs-White, Chris Wood (X3), Neco Williams and Jota Silva, which was preceded by a 5-0 loss to Bournemouth and a 3-2 win over Southampton, courtesy of Elliot Anderson, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Wood.
Those results were preceded by a 1-1 draw with Liverpool, where Chris Wood scored the goal.
Premier League | Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 |  Newcastle | 25 | 12 | 5 | 8 | +9 | 41 | |
| 8 |  Fulham | 25 | 10 | 9 | 6 | +5 | 39 | |
| 9 |  Aston Villa | 25 | 10 | 8 | 7 | -3 | 38 | |
| Last updated 18/02/2025 | ||||||||
Premier League | Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  Arsenal | 25 | 15 | 8 | 2 | +29 | 53 | |
| 3 |  Nottm Forest | 25 | 14 | 5 | 6 | +12 | 47 | |
| 4 |  Man City | 25 | 13 | 5 | 7 | +17 | 44 | |
| Last updated 18/02/2025 | ||||||||
