Fulham host Nottingham Forest at Craven Cottage tonight in a game that carries plenty of weight at this stage of the season. Both sides come into it on the back of big wins and will see this as a chance to build some momentum before the busy run continues.
Fulham start the night in 15th place with twenty points on the board. That puts them seven points clear of the relegation zone which gives them a bit of breathing space but not enough to relax. A home win would go a long way to easing any lingering worries and push them closer to mid table safety.
Forest are in a more delicate position. They sit 17th and are just five points clear of 18th placed West Ham. Every point matters for them right now especially away from home. A positive result here would feel huge given what is happening around them in the table.
Fulham come into this one feeling good after a narrow 3-2 win away at Turf Moor against Burnley. It was the kind of performance they will want to build on with energy intensity and a bit of clinical edge when chances arrived.
Forest arguably produced one of their best displays of the season last time out with a fantastic 3-0 win against Spurs. That result lifted the mood around the club and showed what they are capable of when everything clicks. The challenge now is backing that up on the road against a side in a similar position.
Sean Dyche has had a bit of an up and down start since taking over at Forest. Consistency has been hard to find and that has not been helped by the chaos earlier in the season. Forest have already gone through three managers after sacking Nuno Espirito-Santo and Ange Postecoglu. Dyche is now tasked with steadying the ship and grinding out enough results to keep them clear of danger.
Harry Wilson has been the standout name for Fulham so far this season. He seems to be pulling most of the weight going forward with eight combined goals and assists. If Fulham are going to unlock Forest tonight chances are Wilson will be heavily involved.
Forest will take confidence from their recent attacking display and will look to be sharp on the break. Staying disciplined at the back while being ruthless when chances come will be key to their game plan.
Fulham also have the bragging rights going into this one. Forest have only won three of the last ten competitive meetings between the sides which gives the home fans plenty of confidence. Craven Cottage has often been a tricky place for Forest to visit and Fulham will want to keep that trend going.
Fulham are likely to see more of the ball and try to control the tempo while Forest may be happy to sit in and look to counter. With both sides coming off strong wins this feels like a tight competitive game where fine margins will decide it. Sitting above the relegation zone but with risk regardless three points is a MUST get for both teams. It will likely be a bit of a scrappy affair with Forest trying to sit back and wait for the counter-attacking opportunity to present itself.
It might not be free flowing from start to finish but it should be tense and entertaining with real stakes on the line.
