Fulham welcome Nottingham Forest to Craven Cottage on Monday 22 December (8pm GMT) in what feels like a momentum fixture for two sides still trying to put daylight between themselves and the bottom end. The table is tight enough that a good run can lift you quickly — but a couple of poor weeks can drag you right back into the noise.
Fulham’s last match in any competition was their 2–1 Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat at Newcastle on 17 December, a game that looked set for penalties until a late Newcastle winner. In the league, Fulham’s most recent outing was the 3–2 win at Burnley on 13 December, where Harry Wilson had a major hand in all three goals.
Forest arrive with a very different most-recent result. Their last match in any competition was the 3–0 Premier League win over Tottenham on 14 December, driven by a brace from Callum Hudson-Odoi and a late third. Before that, they were away in Europe, beating FC Utrecht 2–1 in the Europa League on 11 December thanks to a late winner.
Selection will be shaped not just by injuries, but by the Africa Cup of Nations call-ups, which are already impacting Premier League squads. Fulham have been linked with three AFCON absentees: Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze (all Nigeria). Forest are also set to be without two players listed as AFCON-bound: Ibrahim Sangaré and Willy Boly. (Beyond those, any additional knocks or late fitness calls are best treated as matchday decisions unless confirmed by the clubs.)
On the pitch, Fulham’s best moments this season have tended to come when they keep their structure, get runners into wide areas early and make set pieces count — especially at home, where they can build pressure in waves. Forest, under Sean Dyche, have shown they can be disciplined without the ball and dangerous when they break, and the Spurs result was a reminder of how quickly they can punish mistakes when the game opens up.
This one could hinge on who controls the middle of the game. Fulham will want to set the rhythm and force Forest into long defensive spells; Forest will aim to keep it compact, survive the early phases and turn transitions into genuine chances. With AFCON absences thinning options on both sides, the details — second balls, set-piece defending, and composure in the final third — may matter more than usual.
