C alvin Bassey netted his first Premier League goal of the season as Fulham secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
The Nigerian defender delivered the match-winning moment in the 62nd minute, rising above international teammate Ola Aina to head home a flick-on from Raul Jimenez off a corner kick.
The encounter featured three Super Eagles stars, with Bassey and Alex Iwobi representing Fulham, while Aina started for Forest. However, Taiwo Awoniyi was unavailable due to injuries sustained in FA Cup action earlier in the week.
Fulham took an early lead in the 15th minute when Emile Smith Rowe capitalized on Adama Traore’s precise cross, heading past the Forest defense. The visitors responded through Chris Wood, whose deflected strike off Bassey found the net eight minutes before halftime.
With this win, Fulham climbed to eighth in the standings, narrowing the gap to fourth-placed Manchester City to just five points. Meanwhile, Forest’s position in third is now under threat, with only a three-point cushion above Pep Guardiola’s side.
Aina played the full match for Forest but endured a challenging outing, being beaten for both Fulham goals. Iwobi put in a solid shift before being substituted in the 90th minute, while Bassey completed the game with his decisive contribution.
This victory marks Fulham’s first home Premier League win in 2025, breaking a streak of four draws and one defeat at Craven Cottage since December 5. Marco Silva’s side dominated proceedings, registering 24 shots, 10 on target, and an expected goals (xG) tally of 2.24—significantly higher than Forest’s attacking output.
The defeat ends Forest’s impressive run of eight wins in their last 10 league outings. It also dents their previously solid defensive record, as they had conceded the third-fewest goals (27) and kept a joint-league-high 10 clean sheets before this fixture.
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