Nottingham Forest turned the City Ground into a fortress when they returned to the Premier League but suddenly the walls are crumbling.
In their first season back in the top flight, Forest’s home form helped keep them up and the crowd here nearly roared them to the Champions League last term. Yet as they try to save themselves this season, their confidence on their own patch has deserted them.
Forest have not scored here in the league for six weeks. They have won only three times at home all season. When you need to stay up, you beat Fulham at home. Yet apart from Ola Aina hitting the bar and Dan Ndoye having a goal ruled out for a fractional offside, Forest rarely troubled Marco Silva’s team.
Unless they can rediscover the magic here, Forest look like they are heading for the Championship. Last season’s leading scorer Chris Wood is no closer to returning from the knee injury that has kept him out since October. Can Forest somehow get him on the pitch for their final few games?
From the off Forest looked edgy. They have struggled all season from set pieces at both ends and as if to emphasise the point, Elliot Anderson put a corner straight into the home fans behind the goal.
The England midfielder nearly made up for his mistake moments later when he burst from midfield and into the Fulham box only to drag his shot wide with his weaker left foot.
Nottingham Forest’s winless streak at home continued with a 0-0 draw with Fulham on Sunday
Dan Ndoye thought he had scored for Forest but his goal was disallowed for a fractional offside
At the other end, Forest’s fragility was again exposed and only Calvin Bassey will know how he did not put Fulham ahead in the 19th minute. Played onside by Murillo, the centre-back found himself unmarked six yards out but somehow headed Alex Iwobi’s free-kick straight at Matz Sels. It was a fine reflex save from Sels but he should never have been given the chance to make it.
Forest had not scored here in the league since the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on February 1 and there was little evidence in the first half to suggest the duck would be broken.
Again Forest boss Vitor Pereira changed his system, this time opting for 4-3-3 with Morgan Gibbs-White starting from the left. There was no snap at all to their attacking play and Fulham, who knew a win might reignite their hopes of qualifying for Europe next season, had few problems keeping them at arm’s length.
Luckily for Forest, Fulham also offered little. The home crowd were unimpressed when first Raul Jimenez and then Kenny Tete fell to the ground clutching their faces after tussling with Nikola Milenkovic and Gibbs-White. Neither Forest player was booked which tells you all you need to know.
The home crowd were tetchy. ‘We forgot that you were here,’ crowed the travelling fans when Tete was booed. They nearly had a goal to celebrate in first-half stoppage time as Joachim Andersen was first to Harry Wilson’s inswinging corner but the ball flew wide of Sels’ goal.
For the second half, Pereira switched to the 4-2-3-1 system Forest have used for more than two years, with Dan Ndoye and Omari Hutchinson wide and Gibbs-White at No 10. Ndoye thought he had won a penalty when he was bundled over by Bassey but the Swiss winger was offside.
Forest’s build-up was so laboured that it was likely to require something special to give them the lead, and they so nearly found it through full-back Ola Aina. Running unchecked into Fulham territory, Aina drove a bouncing ball goalwards from 20 yards and was so unlucky to see it rebound off the bar.
Forest came even closer just after the hour mark. Thinking he had sprung the offside trap, Ndoye latched on to Neco Williams’ lofted ball and guided it beyond Bernd Leno – but VAR cut short Forest’s joy. Replays showed that perhaps half of the sole of Ndoye’s boot, if that, had been in an illegal position. Make of that what you will.
Perhaps a little punch-drunk, Forest then had two narrow escapes when Aina blocked Rodrigo Muniz’s goalbound volley and then fellow substitute Sasa Lukic fired a fraction wide from the corner.
By now the game was stretched, allowing Anderson to send Awoniyi clear with a fine pass from outside to in – but Awoniyi’s finish was poor.
